The Lord of Shock (patrick Strong)

Exciting accounts of eight anthems spanning nearly two hundred years, with a welcome emphasis firmly on recent works.

This 2014 Hyperion collection of 22 hymns sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey is a straightforward presentation of familiar versions for choir and organ. For the most part, the arrangements are conventional four-part settings, with occasional interpolations of seldom-heard harmonizations and descants, and the performances by the men and boys are appropriately reverent and joyous. The majority of selections are hymns of praise, including Praise, my soul, the king of heaven; Thine be the glory; and Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, though Drop, drop slow tears; I bind unto myself today; and Let all mortal flesh keep silence bring a more somber and penitential mood to the program. The recordings were made in late 2012 and early 2013 in Westminster Abbey, so the sound of the album is typically resonant and spacious, and the choir has a well-blended tone, though the trade-off for the glorious acoustics is a loss of clarity in some of the words.

On July 25th. 1998 25.000 people flooded into London's Hide Park to watch the spectacular open air dance extravaganza, "Feet of Flames". With his feet moving too fast to catch fire, Michael Flatley and his too strong cast took dance into hitherto undreamt of dimensions. Feet of Flames was a one-off special, the culmination of everything Michael Flatley has learnt in a remarkable career. He created Lord of the Dance, phenomenon of the decade, which has captivated audiences all around the world and has spawned video and CD sales in their millions. There are now three Lord of the Dance troupes, each 40 strong, performing around the world. One is touring Europe, one is touring across America and the third is third is permanenly resident in Las Vegas. A fourth troupe will shorly by launched in Disney land Florida. On Feet of Flames, Michael shows he is not just the master of the stage but the fastest dancer in the world capable of 35 separate taps in a second. He is also a visionary choreographer and an accomplished musician. On this album, which captures the unique atmosphere of the performance in Hyde Park, Michael demonstrates his command of the flute on three new songs, the band number "Celic Fire", and haunting solos on "Whispering Wind" and "Dance Of Love". Michael Flatley has proved dance can flourish as a multi media spectacle. Feet of Flames will stand as a permanent legasy of his vision as he preperes to develop new challeges, which will continue to astound and delight his millions of fans.