Anthems From Kings DVD

Made in Golden Jubilee year to commemorate the close association between the 600 year-old choir of King's College, Cambridge and the British royal family, Anthems from King's is a pure, majestic demonstration of the qualities of this most distinctive of choirs. The programme eschews the choir's traditional role in the country's Christmas celebrations for a robust selection of 19th and 20th century anthems by stalwart British and Irish composers including Davies, Balfour Gardiner and Williams. Under the direction of Stephen Cleobury their voices soar, offering inspiration... and balm in equal measure, marvellously served by the unique acoustics of King's College chapel. The standard throughout is sublime but Harris' Bring us, O Lord God and Balfour Gardiner's setting for Compline, Evening Hymn, sound exceptional. On the DVD: Anthems from King's on disc has the option to choose between DTS surround sound (best for the authentic King's College sound) or LPCM stereo. Either way, the sound quality is crystal clear. The video quality (16:9 anamorphic) is standard for television but given the ambience, things occasionally look a little dark. The extras include a multi-angle view of Daniel Hyde playing Stanford Postlude in D minor in which the organist's technique is shown off to great effect. Most touching, though, is the 30-minute BBC documentary which complements the music, giving some insight into the daily lives of the young choristers who give the choir its unique, bell-like tones.--Piers Ford [show more]

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