"Actor: Cathedral"

• We Want The Light | DVD | (22/10/2004) from £27.95   |  Saving you £-2.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  This is a DVD about many things. It is about freedom and captivity about emancipation acculturation and assimilation; it is about the roles played by Moses and Felix Mendelssohn in the dream of fruitful unproblematic integration of the Jews into German society after their liberation from the ghettos; it is about Richard Wagner his essay Das Judenthum in der Musik (The Jews in Music) and his influence on the thinking of the Third Reich but most of all it is a DVD about how much music can mean to people even in the direst of circumstances or particularly in the direst circumstances.The title We Want The Light is taken from a poem by a 12-year-old girl Eva Pickova written in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Her words provide both the title and the climax - in a setting for two choruses and orchestra by the American composer Franz Waxman in his work The Song Of Terezin. The DVD also contains music by Mahler Bach Schoenberg Bruch Schumann Mendelssohn Wagner Schubert Bloch and Brahms.

• Britten: Owen Wingrave - Berlin/Nagano | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £24.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Owen Wingrave is perhaps Britten's most radical opera, both politically and artistically. Originally written for television, and here presented in a 2001 Channel 4 version, the 1970 score is based, like The Turn of the Screw, on a Henry James ghost story. Britten, though, is more in tune than James with the pacifism into which Owen revolts from a long family tradition of military service. The fluid, impassioned, often declamatory music given Owen makes him one of the most sympathetic of Britten's outsider protagonists, though he has a streak of self-centredness, which stops him being an implausible paragon. Gerald Finley is quite admirable in the part, conveying fully the sense that by losing and dying at the hands of family ghosts, Owen demonstrates the integrity which is central to his character. The other parts are admirably filled here, notably Martyn Hill as Owen's harsh General grandfather, Josephine Barstow as his aunt and Charlotte Hellekant as the fiancee who unknowingly sends him to his death. They and Elizabeth Gale are quite extraordinary in the first act quartet of recrimination and condemnation. This excellent performance compares vocally with the original on almost entirely equal terms--modern technology means that the ghost scenes are far more dramatic and plausible. Kent Nagano and the Berlin Orchestra do full subtle justice to the chamber orchestra sonorities of one of Britten's most interesting scores, never overstressing its complex musical architecture at the expense of the drama. On the DVD: Owen Wingrave is presented in a widescreen 16:9 visual aspect ratio with PCM stereo sound. It is accompanied by The Tender Heart, a documentary about Britten's career full of personal reminiscences by his surviving friends, colleagues and family, that concentrates on Peter Grimes, the War Requiem and Death in Venice, the three popular masterpieces of his early, middle and late career. It has menus and subtitles in English, French, German and Spanish. --Roz Kaveney

• Cathedral - Our God Has Landed | DVD | (05/03/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The first DVD from doom legends Cathedral. Features all the original footage from the Our God Has Landed VHS release (8 video clips) PLUS the unreleased complete gig from the Gods of Grind Show at the London Astoria 1992 with interview footage.

• An Edinburgh Christmas | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £6.98   |  Saving you £13.01 (65.10%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Featuring St Mary's Cathedral its friends and its tranquil surroundings in a heartening feast of music for Christmas. With Matthew Owens organ Susan Hamilton soprano The Holyrood Clarsach Trio and readings by Alexander McCall Smith.

• Various Artists - Armageddon Over Wacken | DVD | (01/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A comprehensive overview of the world's most famous metal festival - Wacken:Open Air. This awesome double DVD has a running time of 360 minutes the package features performance and interviews from all of the main bands plus liner notes and photos. All in 5.1 surround sound. Tracklisting: DVD 1:Zodiac Mindwarp - Fucked By Rock Brainstorm - Blin Suffering Brainstorm - Shivas Tears Mnemic - Deathbox Mambo Kurt - Medley Nevermore - This Sacrament Children Of Bodom - Sixpounder Anthrax - Caught In A Mosh Anthrax - What Doesn't Die Motrhead - Civil War Motrhead - Metropolis Dio - Rainbow In The Dark Dio - Heaven And Hell Doro & Orchestra - Fr Immer Doro & Orchestra Feat. Blaze Bayley - Fear Of The Dark J.B.O. - Glaubensbekenntnis J.B.O. - Gnseblmchen Raunchy - Drive Death Angel - Thrown To The Wolves Ektomorf - Gipsy Knorkator - Try Again Feinstein - Rule The World Mystic Prophecy - Lords Of Pain Mayhem - Freezing Moon Cannibal Corpse - Decency Defied Destruction - The Butcher Strikes Back Destruction - Total Desaster Nocturno Culto - Under A Funeral Moon Elkeliset - Rantallihumppa (Run To The Hills). DVD 2: Zodiac Mindwarp - Feed My Frankenstein Mnemic - Bloodstained Raunchy - Twelve Feet Tall Weinhold - The Beacon Light Feinstein -Third Wish Kotipelto - Take Me Away Mystic Prophecy - Eternal Flame Bal-Sagoth - Atlantis Ascendant Bal-Sagoth - The Empyreal Lexicon Cathedral - Congregation Of Sorcerers Cathedral - Hopkins Orphanage - Truth Or Lies Orphanage - At The Mountains Of Madness Paragon - Thunderstorm Paragon - Steelbound Unleashed - Death Metal Victory Cannibal Corpse - They Deserve To Die Ektomorf - Destroy Mayhem - My Death Nocturno Culto - The Hordes Of Nebulah Satyricon - Repine Bastard Nation Elkeliset - Humppalaki (Breaking The Law).

• Immortalised | DVD | (13/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Already renowned for pushing the boundaries of extreme music and embracing technological advances Earache have expanded on the Immortalised series and produced a celebratory compilation video and audio package on a truly groundbreaking new format. The worlds first ever specifically programmed DVD (as opposed to straight video-DVD transfer) this unique package features 20 extreme video tracks from an impressive catalogue of Earache artists including classic videos from Morbid Angel Cathedral Misery Loves Co Carcass Entombed Napalm Death and more new videos from bands such as Linea 77 The Berzerker and Gandalf bonus live material and hidden extras. The videos are then complemented by a state-of-the-art menu of band biographies discographies and photos.