Other Choirs, Singers, Musicians that you like

[maartendas]

This is child choir from Czech republic. I singing in this choir:)
Gaudete Et Exsultate

Well done! Very precise and 'together'. I like your outfits too

[Jenn]

I don't want to clutter this thread but - listen to this!
Maybe someone with a better musical hearing than me can tell us what the highest note is that the treble soloist (David de Winter - a Dutch name ) hits at 2:20 and 5:50, and whether we know a Libera song with that note in it (Yorkie?)

It is a B just below "top C". Libera has sang that note and higher quite often, in fact Ben (big Ben!) sang the A above that in Sancta from the Libera album.

[Yorkie]

In that case try:

Sacris Solemnis (Luminosa)
Attendite (Luminosa)
Recordare (Visions)

[maartendas]

Thanks! I realise now I don't always listen as attentively as I should... Silly me!!

[paul]

I do like the sound of the cathedral pipes.

At 3:00 there is an amazing piece of plainchant by an all male cathedral choir. The sound is amazing with the cathedral acoustics.

Musical director is: Bruce Neswick

[youtube][/youtube]

[superveloce]

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Sicut Cervus the best interpretation
" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Dominik Czernik grat solo

[javerylibe]

Is anyone a member of the website treble.ru? It seems like it could be an absolutely huge resource for music made by cathedral choirs (and young pop singers, if they interest you), but I can't seem to register, and I can't find anyone to contact about joining.

[youtube][/youtube]

I've been looking for music sung by former Chorister of the Year Harry Sever for some time now and was thrilled to see this video pop up in my Youtube recommendations. It features Harry and the Winchester College Quiristers on the hymn 'Lord of All Hopefulness' and showcases a truly excellent voice from Sever— among the best I've heard from a chorister of any generation, unless SoP has done some post-production tweaking here. There seems to be something a bit reminiscent of Aled Jones in his voice, which sounds quite different from the type of voice that tends to come out of the cathedrals currently, but I'd go on to say that Harry's might have been more pleasant than young Aled's was.

Plus, he seems to have grown into quite a pleasant baritone.

[youtube][/youtube]

[maartendas]

a truly excellent voice from Sever— among the best I've heard from a chorister of any generation, unless SoP has done some post-production tweaking here. There seems to be something a bit reminiscent of Aled Jones in his voice, which sounds quite different from the type of voice that tends to come out of the cathedrals currently, but I'd go on to say that Harry's might have been more pleasant than young Aled's was.

He reminds me somewhat of William de Chazal in the wonderful brass-like clarity and 'roundness' of his voice (that I am quite in love with at the moment). William de Chazal is current head chorister at Wells Cathedral and can be heard in a recent video I made of their new James MacMillan recording:

[youtube][/youtube]

Can you explain what you mean with "the type of voice that tends to come out of the cathedrals currently"? and/or give an example?

[javerylibe]

Can you explain what you mean with "the type of voice that tends to come out of the cathedrals currently"? and/or give an example?

I can't entirely put my finger on what, if anything, is empirically different about a voice like Harry Sever's, but it seems to me that there's an effortless richness and 'roundness,' as you put it, to it (at least in that SoP clip) that is sometimes missing in the thin-fold configured voices of even excellent young trebles. It doesn't seem to stick as closely to the 'straight' or 'cathedral' tone that I'm used to hearing from British choristers, and I might go as far as to say that there's something 'continental' about it. (Of course... good luck really pinning down any of those terms; they mean different things to different people.)

I could be fooled by Harry's vowels or by the vocal range he's using in the clip, but something about it makes me think more of Paul Phoenix or Aled Jones, say, than of Anthony Way. In fact, I hear something similar in the voice of Thomas Jesty, who I'm reading now was at Winchester around the same time as Harry and was also Choirboy of the Year. That could lead me to believe that the sound has perhaps something more to do with the director and less to do with the singers themselves.

Thomas is here:

[youtube][/youtube]

When I said 'the type of voice that tends to come out of the cathedrals currently,' I didn't mean that disparagingly at all, and I wouldn't want people to think that. (Hell; what cathedral treble couldn't triumphantly outsing squeaky, squawky old me?) I do really enjoy the clips from Wells' new MacMillan disk, Maarten, and (I think) left a note on the video saying so. It's no huge secret that I'm a shill for the choir at Wells, and I think that their sound and their organisation make their recent accolades very well-deserved. From what I've heard of the solo Wells trebles lately, though, I wouldn't really compare them to either of the above boys from Winchester. William de Chazal, for instance, who does that MacMillan solo brilliantly, I would compare much more closely to fellow Wells treble Catherine Hart than to either Sever or Jesty.

Catherine is here:

[youtube][/youtube]

[maartendas]

I can't entirely put my finger on what, if anything, is empirically different about a voice like Harry Sever's, but it seems to me that there's an effortless richness and 'roundness,' as you put it, to it (at least in that SoP clip) that is sometimes missing in the thin-fold configured voices of even excellent young trebles. It doesn't seem to stick as closely to the 'straight' or 'cathedral' tone that I'm used to hearing from British choristers, and I might go as far as to say that there's something 'continental' about it. (Of course... good luck really pinning down any of those terms; they mean different things to different people.)

I see what you mean. You're right and it reminds me of the discussion on 'continental' sound I started earlier elsewhere on this board.

I do really enjoy the clips from Wells' new MacMillan disk, Maarten, and (I think) left a note on the video saying so. It's no huge secret that I'm a shill for the choir at Wells, and I think that their sound and their organisation make their recent accolades very well-deserved. From what I've heard of the solo Wells trebles lately, though, I wouldn't really compare them to either of the above boys from Winchester. William de Chazal, for instance, who does that MacMillan solo brilliantly, I would compare much more closely to fellow Wells treble Catherine Hart than to either Sever or Jesty.

Oh that was you

And yes Thomas and Harry sound very much alike to my ears as well. Now that I listen to Harry again today I am actually surprised that yesterday I was reminded of William de Chazal. But I think it must've been the way he glides his notes, like "who-ose trust", "ou-our waking", "bliss in our hea-earts". A certain natural smoothness (though I know it's not the word) that reminded me of the glorious way of singing William has. Like water in a stream, or the flickering of a flame. I know, describing singing properly is hard

I agree, Catherine and William sound uncannily alike! I even had to remind myself it was not him I was listening to! Though if I had to make a distinction I would say Catherine's voice is more stately and clean, whereas William's voice is a little rawer and bolder. But both are very powerful and beautiful.

[symphonica7]

Hoping this song is on the new Libera Christmas Album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[youtube][/youtube]

[javerylibe]

Hoping this song is on the new Libera Christmas Album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'O Holy Night' is one of my favourites, and I'd love to hear it on Libera's new album. It's beautifully simple, and the third verse (Truly He taught us to love one another... etc) has some of the loveliest lyrics I've heard in a carol.

[javerylibe]

Beloved in Libera, this Christmas in July be it our care and delight to hear again the music that Javerylibe, starry-eyed ennui-maker that he is, listens to all the year round, thus making his parents wonder what on Earth could possibly possess a young person to do such a thing, and why don't you go out for a drink with someone for once?

(Apologies to the Dean of King's.)

Enjoy.

Once, in Royal David's City (Choir of Westminster Cathedral) As an aside: exceptional opening solo by Mark Kennedy.

The Little Road to Bethlehem (Paul Phoenix)

Carol of the Bells (The American Boychoir)

The Three Kings [J. Dove] (Choir of Westminster Abbey)

See, Amid the Winter's Snow (Anthony Way & the Choir of St Paul's Cathedral)

[maartendas]

Once, in Royal David's City (Choir of Westminster Cathedral) As an aside: exceptional opening solo by Mark Kennedy.

Ofcourse with a recommendation like that, I just have to temporarily break my usual rule of avoiding Christmas music outside the season - and immediately I am thrown in the spirit of the feast - all snow, dark, candlelight, pine scent, warm and bright churches, and stables, stables, stables... Ah I can see why you indulge ...but my liturgical heart says no! I'll remember this (exactly!) 5 months from now though

[javerylibe]

Once, in Royal David's City (Choir of Westminster Cathedral) As an aside: exceptional opening solo by Mark Kennedy.

Ofcourse with a recommendation like that, I just have to temporarily break my usual rule of avoiding Christmas music outside the season - and immediately I am thrown in the spirit of the feast - all snow, dark, candlelight, pine scent, warm and bright churches, and stables, stables, stables... Ah I can see why you indulge ...but my liturgical heart says no! I'll remember this (exactly!) 5 months from now though

Glad you approve, and I admire your restraint! The carols keep me through the year, but you've quite likely got both a better liturgical understanding and a broader musical catalogue than I do for it. Enjoy the lingering pine scent!