In the Mornin'

Track Listings

1. How Firm a Foundation, arranged by Richard Walters

2. In the Mornin', arranged by Charles Ives

3. The Light that is Felt, by Charles Ives

4. At the River, arranged by Aaron Copland

5. The Gospel of Grace, arranged by Mark Hayes

6. Nun wandre, Maria (Spanisches Liederbuch), by Hugo Wolf

7. Die ihr schwebet (Spanisches Liederbuch), by Hugo Wolf

8. Ach, des Knaben Augen sind mir so schön (Spanisches Liederbuch), by Hugo Wolf

9. Herr, was trägt der Boden hier (Spanisches Liederbuch), by Hugo Wolf

10. Mühvoll komm' ich und beladen (Spanisches Liederbuch), by Hugo Wolf

11. Kaddish (Deux mélodies Hébraïque), by Maurice Ravel

12. L'énigme éternelle (Deux mélodies Hébraîque), by Maurice Ravel

13. Priez pour paix, by Francis Poulenc

14. En Prière, by Gabriel Fauré

15. Prelude (Cantata), by John Carter

16. Rondo - Peter go ring dem bells (Cantata), by John Carter

17. Recitative - Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (Cantata), by John Carter

18. Air - Let us break bread together (Cantata), by John Carter

19. Toccata - Ride on King Jesus (Cantata), by John Carter

Editorial Reviews
From the Artist
This selection of songs is the culmination of a project that has been on my heart for a number of years. Some of the songs are new loves, and some are old favorites. However, they are all songs of faith. Composers and poets of all ages have communicated their spiritual yearnings through their art. My prayer is that you will hear God speak to you through these songs, no matter what the language.

About the Artist
Cheryl Anne Roach enjoys a distinguished reputation as both performer and teacher. She performs widely in recital and oratorio work and has been featured with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, the Camerata Singers of Long Beach, the Long Beach Bach Festival and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. She has performed in operatic productions with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera and the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra. Cheryl is the founder of the highly acclaimed... read more

Album Description
This recording is a compilation of sacred songs in different styles and different languages. It begins with a group of American Gospel songs, by Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and contemporary composers, Mark Hayes and Richard Walters. Representing the German language are five songs from the "Spanisches Liederbuch" of Hugo Wolf. This is followed by four songs from the French tradition, the two Hebrew melodies of Maurice Ravel, and songs by Francis Poulenc and Gabriel Fauré. The final group of songs are a solo cantata by John Carter based on African American spirituals.

In the Mornin'

Tracks:

Overture - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Main Title - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
Kansas City Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
Many A New Day Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon McaRae/Shirley Jones
Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
Out Of My Dreams Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Entr' Acte - Rodgers & Hammerstein
The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/J.C. Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
The Farmer And The Cowman Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
All Er Nuthin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
All Er Nuthin' Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
Finale: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
Overture (LP Version) - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Customer Reviews:

MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation.......2007-03-16

The film adaptation of Oklahoma heralded a technological breakthrough in widescreen cinema just as the original stage musical ushered in the integrated book musical. As such this film adaptation was treated as a special occasion, well-supervised by the creators themselves. The soundtrack, featured here, boasts sterling performances from MacRae and Jones making the most of their portrayals of Curly and Laurey, backed by a charismatic cast and superb orchestrations. And of course let's not forget the enveloping stereo sound that holds up well even today.

Despite being a Hollywood star, Gordon MacRae performs the part of Curly as if he was born to play it even on the stage. He shines vocally in his renditions of Oh, what a Beautiful Mornin' and Surrey with the Fringe on Top. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones as a fresh and pert Laurey, lending her beautiful voice to the part. Although we don't hear much of her on this soundtrack, her partnering MacRae in People Will Say We're in Love exudes a masterful chemistry, as if they were setting sparks off at each other in their rendition of the song. Gene Nelson makes a dashing Will Parker and is equally well-matched by Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie. Grahame renders I Cain't Say No splendidly and partners Nelson in All er Nothin'. The supporting cast is filled out by Charlotte Greenwood's suitably caustic Aunt Eller and Rod Steiger's Jud. It's a pity that the film cut the song Lonely Room, otherwise Steiger would have better demonstrated the dark hues of the character of Jud. Yet it all adds up to a wonderful renditionh of this classic musical, enough to elicit a spontaneous YEOW! during this year of the Oklahoma centenary.

This EMI-Angel reissue offers one the advantage of the dance music and the main titles. This means that the listener gets the Kansas City and Farmer and the Cowman dance sequences, as well as the extended Dream Ballet. The only downside is the extraneous sound effects lifted from a DVD copy of the movie. Yes I share many of your sentiments that these sound effects tend to grate, and long for Didier Deutsch to have used the original untainted studio vault versions. However, let's at least be thankful that the CD producers have offered us a more comprehensive version of the Oklahoma soundtrack that we could only have dreamt of in the past.

In short, this is a wonderful and valuable addition to the R&H discography, and is an equally celebrated rendition of the score like the original Broadway cast recording. Warmly recommended to those who seek even their first version of Oklahoma.

Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!.......2007-03-06

I have the original Broadway version, but prefer this movie selection.
The CD is flawless and, in my opinion, there's nothing better than a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical for music, lyrics and pure joy! This is the best!

Wonderful.......2007-01-30

A great way to introduce oneself to the world of the nearly extinct Hollywood musical.

Beauiful.......2006-06-05

A true musical theater classic. Wonderful melodies that will last for years to come.
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific

My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!

Oh, what a beautiful sound!.......2006-03-26

Oklahoma has never sounded better as sung by Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones in the 1955 movie version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's unforgettable Broadway musical. The memory of MacRae's beautiful voice lives on with this CD. I never tire of hearing this wonderful music. From the opening overture to the finale you will feel as though you're right in the theater.

Average customer rating:

Great to Hear All those great Voices from the Past
A Good One!

Greatest Hits: Broadway

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Oklahoma!: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - John Raitt/Franz Allers
On The Town: New York, New York - Michael Kermoyan/Adolph Green/John Reardon/Cris Alexander & Chorus/Leonard Bernstein
Annie Get Your Gun: I Got The Sun In The Morning - Doris Day/Franz Allers
Fiddler On The Roof: If I Were A Rich Man - Topol/Gareth Davies
West Side Story: Tonight - Larry Kert/Carol Lawrence/Max Goberman
The Sound Of Music: The Sound Of Music - Mary Martin/Frederick Dvonch
My Fair Lady: On The Street Where You Live - Jerry Lanning/Theodore Saidenberg
Annie: Tomorrow - Andrea McArdle/Peter Howard
The Music Man: Seventy-Six Trombones - The Boston Pops Orchestra/John Williams
Anything Goes: You're The Top - Eileen Rodgers/Hal Linden/Julian Stein
Bye Bye Birdie: Put On A Happy Face - Dick Van Dyke/Elliot Lawrence
Mame: Open A New Window - Angela Lansbury & Cast/Don Pippin
Strike Up The Band: Strike Up The Band - The Chestnut Brass Co.
Sweet Charity: Hey, Big Spender - Helen Gallagher/Thelma Oliver/Fan-Dango Girls/Fred Werner
Bells Are Ringing: Just In Time - Judy Holliday/Sydney Chaplin/Milton Rosenstock
Gypst: Together, Wherever We Go - Ethel Merman/Jack Klugman/Sandra Church/Milton Rosenstock
Cabaret: Cabaret - Jill Haworth/Harold Hastings
Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - The Boston Pops Orchestra/John Williams
Show Boat: Ol' Man River - William Warfield/Franz Allers
A Chorus Line: What I Did For Love - Priscilla Lopez & Cast/Don Pippin
A Little Night Music: Send In The Clowns - Glynis Johns/Harold Hastings

Customer Reviews:

Great to Hear All those great Voices from the Past.......2007-07-05

I just wanted to confirm what the first reviewer had to say about this CD. To hear Ethyl Merman, Mary Martin, Andrea McCardle etc. singing their trademark songs brought a lot of memories from the mid-centry musical theater back again. The last song by Glynis Johns is especially poignant.
You certainly can't beat the price!

A Good One!.......2006-11-10

This is a very good CD, mostly because it's the original artists. I've had some that were re-recorded by no name artists that were ghastly. This one is a really good one--including the sound quality. If I had one wish, I would wish it were longer!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

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Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Audio CD

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Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
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A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
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Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
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Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
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I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
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Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
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You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
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I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music

Average customer rating:

Chanticleer, with Bp. Flunder: INDEED - How Very Sweet The Sound
Crystalline
Best Chanticleer CD Yet
How Angry the Sound?
This CD is the bomb!

How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music
Chanticleer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Amazon.com

Chanticleer's repertoire ranges through many centuries. On this recording, the group again proves its infinite versatility in a program of gospel music and spirituals. The singing is so authentic that one feels like a participant in a gospel meeting, swaying to the rhythm with the crowd. Contributing greatly to the impact is Chanticleer's guest, Yvette A. Funder. Possessor of a voice remarkable for its range, power, and flexibility, she brings to the music the empathy and authority of one born and raised in the tradition, whether leading call-and-response, engaging in improvisations that soar high above the chorus, crooning softly in meditation, or shouting in ecstasy. (She is also an active Bishop ministering to the poor and afflicted, and the founder of various social service agencies in California.) Several songs include soloists drawn from the chorus as well, most notably a tenor, a countertenor and a bass who provides a rhythmic ostinato. The program, designed for maximum variety of tempo, mood, character and texture, includes many favorite songs and spirituals, such as "Amazing Grace," "There is a Balm in Gilead," "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child." The arrangements by Joseph Jennings, Chanticleer's Music Director for 20 years, are admirably simple and very good; only a few are marred by awkward modulations or overly sophisticated, Hollywood-inspired effects. Most of them are for a cappella voices. Jennings also contributes a new original composition: "Be still and Know that I'm God." Repeating these words like an invocation, it builds a cumulative drama with increasingly wild, elaborate improvisations in call-and-response between soloist and chorus; supported by a prominent piano part that includes solos, chordal and running passages, it ends with a rousing climax. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Chanticleer, with Bp. Flunder: INDEED - How Very Sweet The Sound.......2006-02-10

On this standard red book 16-bit CD we are offered that rare and special invitation: Come now, pilgrim - take yet another good step forward in gospel praise or supplication. How can we progress in our individual and collective spiritual journeys towards whatever transcendent glories ground us, revive us, and lead us on despite life's challenges, unless we sing?. Are you having set backs? This CD is good medicine, and it is both a worthy addition to the gospel music shelf and perhaps just the sort of musical medicine that turns out to be good for you, on more than one level of body, mind, and soul. Not a bitter root aftertaste, nor a nagging fishy oil payback in any of this welcome elixir. I guess that is why we call it, Good News.

The arrangements of new and old gospel standards have been set by counter-tenor Joseph Jennings - a leading Chanticleer member of long standing - intently drawing upon both the florid improvisations of the soloists and gospel groups climbing ever so dazzlingly into the fiery chariots that sacred texts say carried off the prophet; and yes, rooted as well in the impeccably crafted close harmonies and inwardly solid strength of gospel quartets and ensembles like Fisk University's Jubilee Singers and many other exemplars.

So, when you listen to this one you will be immediately surrounded by that amazing and great, gathering could of witnesses. The messages are familiar: Keep your hands on the plow. Surely God is able. There is a balm in Gilead.

Like the famous vocal work by Ralph Vaughan Williams, his Serenade to Music as written for a star-crossed group of well-known British soloists of the era; so this gospel outing brings the small male ensemble Chanticleer to the fore - both as a vocal group and as a fabulous collection of solo voices who are prodigiously gifted vocal stars in their own rights. Capping off Chanticleer as an embarrassment of riches is a guest turn by San Francisco's own Bishop Yvette Flunder. She is the real deal, too, as both an ordained minister whose leadership in black churches has blazed fireworks in celebration of melding religion with social justice, and a Jen-U-Wine good news singer who can preach and pray and moan with the best of them.

Only the superhumanly perfected intonation of their cappella group singing, as well as the superb blend and polish of the Chanticleer dozen, will remind a listener than this group is as famous for its Flemish medieval polyphony or its unerring Purcellian clarity, as any other ensemble of twelve voices now appearing before us.

So, forget all the categories and musicology boxes which would seal off gospel music from pre-Bach cathedral masters of polyphony. With this CD we can just revel in the mysteries of good music, regardless. Yeah, Josquin, I'm talking bout you - Sit down servant, there's plenty good room.

Five stars. Highly recommended.

Crystalline.......2005-04-08

I'm not a huge fan of gospel, because I find it to be led by emotion, and musically undisciplined. Rousing, yes - but a little goes a long, long way. I've also found most gospel recordings to be sonically challenged. Almost as if microphones were incapable of capturing the music with clarity. None of this holds true for "How Sweet the Sound." This is a beautifully recorded cd, and every tune is both musically precise, and emotionally resonant. It is, however, a little hard to listen to in one sitting because of the "sameness" of the arrangements. That's a small quibble - who says any cd has to be experienced all at once - and "There is a Balm in Gilead," alone is worth the price of admission.

Best Chanticleer CD Yet.......2005-02-01

This is the Best Chanticleer CD yet. I have listened to it dozens of times. Money well spent. I have even given copies to several of my friends.

How Angry the Sound?.......2005-01-02

My daughter gave me this CD, because, while I'm not religious, I'm a long time fan of gospel music. The first pass through the record, I found myself wandering off to other tasks. So, the second time I put it on the player I forced myself to sit completely through the record. I'm not familiar with Chanticleer, so I had no idea whey she thought I'd like it, but she's is right more often than not. This would be one of the "not" times.

I guess this as an attempt to make gospel music "hip." With songs like "Jesus Hits Like An Atomic Bomb" and "What You Gon' Do When the World's On Fire?" the lyrics are like walking a American urban street being threatened by strangers. Far from being uplifting, the songs are decidedly unfriendly. The feel of the music reminded more of the howling noises I suffered as a forced member of my parent's Kansas Methodist Church than the sweet, honest sounds of real gospel music. That intangible thing I get from listening to gospel music that is heartfelt and painfully honest, even if deluded, was nowhere to be heard in "How Sweet the Sound." Instead, the music is chant-like, monotonous, and cold.

I would not recommend this record to anyone outside of the Midwest. If you miss the sterile sounds of a Midwestern protestant church in full howl, this might be your cup of weak wine. If gospel music is what you're looking for, look elsewhere.

This CD is the bomb!.......2004-11-28

From "Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb" to "Amazing Grace", this CD is packed with glorius gospel spirituals and terrific talent. Highly recommend to music lovers of all faiths!

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Average customer rating:

Irresistible
"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
Excellent!
Great Arrangments

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Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

Irresistible.......2005-07-29

From beginning to end this CD is pure delight. A great recording has great music, a great performance, and great sound; this one scores on all three counts.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.

This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).

In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.

"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.......2003-12-26

Erich Kunzel's Rodgers and Hammerstein anthology with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra is one of the best and most ravishing instrumental Rodgers and Hammerstein albums of all time. With sumptuous arrangements and warm, natural Telarc recording, this glorious 77-minute CD presents sweeping, melodic arrangements of over 60 Rodgers and Hammerstein selections, spanning eight scores, and Kunzel allows the Pops to play with a characterful and polished understanding of the Rodgers and Hammerstein idiom. The disc is enough to cheer you up on a dull day and make you smile, and it might even want to make you feel like a convert to Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.

After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.

By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.

Excellent!.......2003-04-08

This is one of the best Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops collections we own! A must for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, too.

Great Arrangments.......2001-09-02

This is a first rate album with great arrangments and orchestrations. If you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, you can't afford to miss this specatacular album

Average customer rating:

Broadway: America's Music 1935-2005

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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White Nights

ASIN: B000B8I93Q
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
Summertime
I Could Write a Book
It Never Entered My Mind
I Can Cook Too
Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please
If I Loved You
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Thou Swell
I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen
There's No Business Like Show Business
South American Way

Tracks:

Shall We Dance
Ohio
Luck Be a Lady
Mack the Knife
There's a Small Hotel
Once in Love with Amy
Yodel Blues
Lazy Afternoon
There Must Be Somethin' Better Than Love
You're Just in Love
Now Is the Time

Tracks:

Impossible Dream
Love Makes the World Go 'Round
Try to Remember
Put on a Happy Face
I Say Hello
Happiness
She Loves Me
What Kind of Fool Am I?
Shy
Consider Yourself
Poor Little Person

Tracks:

Magic to Do
They're Playing My Song
I Don't Know How to Love Him
I Won't Send Roses
Good Morning Starshine
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Hard Candy Christmas
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Won't You Charleston with Me?
Applause

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera
Memory
On My Own
Muddy Water
How Could I Ever Know
American Dream
I Know Him So Well
Dr. Jazz
Me and My Girl
Suddenly Seymour

Tracks:

Mamma Mia!
Popular
Seasons of Love
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think
Whatever Lola Wants
Crazy
How Deep Is Your Love
Stars
People Like Us
I Go to Rio

Average customer rating:

Generally, a pleasant surprise
Very pretty!

The Broadway I Love

Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Domingo Songbook
Placido Domingo: Songs of Love
Perhaps Love
Placido Domingo: A Love Until The End Of Time
Be My Love

ASIN: B000002ISY
Release Date: 1991-11-08

Tracks:

The Fantasticks: Try To Remember
South Pacific: Younger Than Springtime
Miss Saigon: The Last Night Of The World
Very Warm For May: All The Things You Are
Stop The World - I Want To Get Off: What Kind Of Fool Am I?
Oklahoma!: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'
West Side Story: Somewhere
Kiss Me Kate: So In Love
A Little Night Music: Send In The Clowns
West Side Story: Tonight
Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask of You
The Goldwyn Follies: Love Is Here To Stay
George M!: Over There
Carousel: You'll Never Walk Alone

Amazon.com

Placido Domingo's blazing tenor enriches these traditional Broadway show stoppers, supported by mammoth orchestrations in perfect balance and enhanced by his trademark musicianship and intelligence. In "All I Ask Of You," he excitingly explodes like a bursting water balloon. His duet with Carly Simon ("Last Night of the World") works in an intergalactic way--music makers from separate planets can successfully collaborate. In "Send In the Clowns," we are reminded of the tune's prettiness; while others find a poignantly delicate moment, Domingo's personal revelation is the size of Mt. Olympus. And why not? He is a god of song. An exception is made for "Our Love is Here to Stay," winner of the most-likely-to-appear-in-an-elevator award. Overall, a dazzling music experience. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Generally, a pleasant surprise.......2003-01-19

This is a compilation of lovely Broadway songs, beautifully sung. I liked most of the selections in every way--singing, orchestration, etc. I found the piece from "Miss Saigon" ("The Last Night in the World"), with a moving duet with Domingo and Carly Simon, to be astonishingly beautiful. I was surprised that these two could collaborate so well reminiscent of Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza), I have enjoyed repetitive listening of this track. The only downer, in my view, was "Over There." Sad to say, Placido does not do justice to George M. Cohan. For reasons I don't completely understand, he substitutes "The boys are coming" for the very triumphant "The Yanks are coming" line, which is the heart of the song. Toss this ridiculous mistake out, maybe a fifth star.

Very pretty!.......2001-01-14

I found this one in my library system and checked it out because of "So In Love" -- and quickly fell in love with the rest of it! There are classically trained opera singers who cannot pull off singing Broadway, but Domingo is not one of them. Granted, the idea of hearing "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" sung with an Italian accent seems a little strange, since everyone knows that a cowboy is supposed to be singing it, but I think Domingo's accent adds to the charm of the songs.

I only gave this album four stars because I didn't care for the arrangements of the songs from "West Side Story" and also because the combination of Domingo and Carly Simon seemed mismatched. The duet with Rebecca Luker, however, in "All I Ask Of You," is what I would consider the highlight of the CD. Their voices blend so well and they have the same classic style. Ted Huffman's boy soprano adds a lot to "Try To Remember," enhancing the soaring prettiness of the melody. The arrangement of "Send In The Clowns" is a masterpiece, while Domingo sings it with convincing sadness. Also his portrayal of "Our Love Is Here To Stay" has the gentle simplicity that I believe the Gershwins meant for it.

Tracks:

Overture - Orchestra
Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girl's Chorus
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girl's Chorus
The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/Jay Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
All Er Nothin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/James Whitmore/Shirley Jones/Jay Flippen/Mixed Chorus

Amazon.com essential recording

In the years before rock (and even for a few years after), the album charts were full of original Broadway cast LPs and soundtracks of the film versions of those Broadway musicals. And the soundtrack to 1955's Oklahoma! was one of the biggest--hitting No. 1 for a month that year--and becoming part of the consciousness of darn near every Baby Boomer whose folks owned a record player over the next five or so years. Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones (in her film debut) were so good together, they repeated the formula (well, after Frank Sinatra dropped out) in the following year's film version of another Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, Carousel. Every song here--from "Oh! What a Beautiful Morning " to the closing title track--is a gem, and whether it's "People Will Say We're in Love" or "The Farmer and the Cowman," these are the most familiar--and definitive--versions. You even get the rousing overture. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews:

Love it.......2000-05-18

Not very well known in my country, but I love it. I know the whole musical by heart. Timeless

Oklahoma soundtrack.......2000-02-23

The movie Oklahoma was perverted, but the songs are really cute

Wonderful Romantic Musical.......1999-10-09

I think it's a very touching Romantic Music. The songs want you to get up and dance. Even though I'm 9 and a half I still know that it has wonderful Music. If you like this music you will like other Rodgers and Hammerstiens Music such as Carousal,King and I and Sound of Music. Thank you for reading my review and bye.

OKLAHOMA! st is a classic corner stone to every collection!.......1999-07-04

OKLAHOMA! was on best selling lists for years. It seems that everyone who grew up with LPs during 50s and 60s had a copy. It is the best recorded version of the show. JONES, McGRAE and the rest were all great. As is the full bodied Oscar winning scoring by Jay Blackton (although one wonders what someone like Alfred Newman would have done with this score). One of the earliest 12 inch stereo Lps unfortunatly has its downside. Because of space limitations some songs are edited. Other selections (reprises, finale, etc)are excluded all together. It would be wonderful if the original tracks could be recovered and a new expanded release be prepared. It would easily fill a 70 minute cd.

Wish there was more music from the film.......1999-05-29

Oklahoma! as a film was quite entertaining, but the record could include only small portions of some songs, such as Kansas City and Out of my Dreams. As presented in the film these numbers were great.

Witness: What a Mighty God - Spirituals and Gospels for Chorus

Average customer rating:

Historically important choral music, wonderfully performed!

Witness: What a Mighty God - Spirituals and Gospels for Chorus
James Bohn , Michael Jorgenson , Steve Burger , Gordon Johnson , Jay Young , Michael Abels , Dale Adelmann , Harry T. (Henry) Burleigh , Brazeal W. Dennard , Adolphus Hailstork , Jester Hairston , Jack Halloran , Robert A. Harris , Moses Hogan , Sanford Moore , Robert Scholz , Richard Smallwood , William Henry Smith , Andre Thomas , Philip Brunelle , Sigrid Johnson , Joe Pulice , Robert Commodore , Charles Kemper , Yolanda Williams , Brian Link , Vocal Essence , and VocalEssence Ensemble Singers
Manufacturer: Clarion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001FVEPE
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Witness: Jack Halloran
Hush! Somebodys CallinMy Name: Arranged by Brazeal W. Dennard
Death Is Gonna Lay His Cold Icy Hands on Me: Arranged by Andrhomas
Walk Together, Children: Arranged by William Henry Smith
Were You There?: Arranged by Robert Scholz
Elijah Rock: Arranged by Moses Hogan
This Train: Arranged by Sanford Moore
Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Music by J.S. Bach; text by Charles Wesley, Arranged by Richard Smallwood
My Lord,What a Mornin : Arranged by Harry T. Burleigh
Go Down, Moses : Arranged by Robert A. Harris
In Dat Great GittinUp Mornin: Arranged by Jester Hairston
Crucifixion: Adolphus Hailstork
Go Where I Send Thee:Arranged by Andrhomas
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Arranged by Dale Adelmann
Go,Tell It on the Mountain: Arranged by Sanford Moore
What a Mighty God : Arranged by Michael Abels

Album Description

Stirring spirituals and rousing gospel melodies sung by the superb voices of VocalEssence conducted by the renowned conductor Philip Brunelle, joined by vocal jazz ensemble Moore by Four.

Customer Reviews:

Historically important choral music, wonderfully performed!.......2004-05-25

For over 10 years, The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus (conducted by Philip Brunelle) has presented an enduring series of concerts showcasing the talents of trailblazing African American composers. Now this wealth of music is available outside the concert hall through a series of recordings called WITNESS.

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD presents 20th Century choral arrangements of music from the African American spiritual tradition rooted in spirituals and gospels, including Harry T. Burleigh's "My Lord, What a Mornin'" (1929), "Walk Together Children" (William Henry Smith, 1937) and more contemporary composers like Sanford Moore's "Go Tell It On The Mountain" (1993.)

There are excellent notes about the genre, however, in light of the historical significance of this music I'm surprised and disappointed to find no biographical information about the composers, not even birth and/or death dates, with this CD. I feel this is a crucial component in an "outreach" project like this, especially since most of these composers are not well known. Still I highly recommend it for the music alone.

The other three CDs are available as single titles, or in the boxed set THE WITNESS COLLECTION which includes:

Tracks:

State Fair: It's A Grand Night For Singing - Dick Haymes
Show Boat: Why Do I Love You? - Tony Martin/Frances Langford
Show Boat: Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man - Ella Fitzgerald And Her Famous Orchestra
Show Boat: Ol' Man River - Frank Sinatra
Show Boat: I Still Suits Me - Paul Robeson/Elizabeth Welch
High, Wide And Handsome: The Folks Who Live On The Hill - Bing Crosby
State Fair: It Might As Well Be Spring - Dick Haymes
Centennial Summer: All Through The Day - Doris Day
Carousel: If I Loved You - Perry Como
Oklahoma: People Will Say We're In Love - Frank Sinatra
Show Boat: Make Believe - Tony Martin
South Pacific: I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy - Mary Martin
South Pacific: Bali Ha'i - Juanita Hall
South Pacific: Some Enchanted Evening - Frank Sinatra
High, Wide And Handsome: Can I Forget You? - Bing Crosby
Roberta: I Won't Dance - Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians
Show Boat: Bill - Helen Forrest
Sunny: Who? - Tommy Dorsey And His Orchestra
Oklahoma: Oh, What A Beautiful Morning - Frank Sinatra
South Pacific: Happy Talk - Juanita Hall
Sweet Adeline: Why Was I Born? - Vic Damone
Very Warm For May: All The Things You Are - Tony Martin
Carousel: You'll Never Walk Alone - Judy Garland

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