Annie Crawford

This generously programmed CD was derived from two different early-'60s albums by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir that happen to fit together by virtue of the common period shared by the repertory. Their approach to the music is somewhat different from that of the Roger Wagner Chorale, who generally take a more robust, full-bodied, and direct approach to this repertory. Under Richard Condie's direction, by contrast, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir generally go for subtle, highly restrained dynamics, even on full-blooded numbers like "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "He's Gone Away" (which is doubly fascinating to hear in a more authentic form than the version popularized by the Serendipity Singers around same period), and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"…