The Song of the White Horse is the original 1983 pressing of the album subsequently reissued (by Voiceprint and Classicprint) as Star Clusters, Nebulae & Places in Devon/The Song of the White Horse. Originally issued on Mike Oldfield's short-lived eponymous label, it is comprised of just two pieces of music - both of which can now be referred to as the title track. Originally composed in 1971 and performed by Bedford and former Soft Machine keyboardist Mike Ratledge, "Star Clusters, Nebulae & Places in Devon" was titled for Bedford's discovery that the stars that are visible today are only now shedding the light that was originally emitted during the Bronze Age; it is, accordingly, a lengthy piece that seems fully aware of the mysteries inherent in such vast distance…
Westminster Abbey has been the focus of British royal occasions for centuries, and the early seventeenth century saw the most dazzling musicians of the age writing music for the Court in all its various incarnations. This fascinating disc presents a selection of works from the reign of King James I. The most celebrated name on this disc is that of Orlando Gibbons, and some of his most masterly works are presented on this CD.
Led by Christopher Hogwood, the Academy of Ancient Music has made many renowned recordings of Handel's music-particularly the oratorios. The beloved Messiah heads up this 8-CD set, followed by Esther; La Resurezzione , and, making its return to the international catalog after an absence of several years, the 1985 recording of Athalia -with none other than Joan Sutherland in the title role! Recorded in London, 1979-85.
Boris Yoffee was born in Russia in 1968. There, he studied violin and composition and before the breakup of the Soviet Union he immigrated to Israel, where he studied at Tel Aviv University. In 1997, he moved to Germany to study composition with Wolfgang Rihm. By 2009, he had amassed an enormous number of short works. Thus, the performers who had been asked to record his Song of Songs looked through approximately 800 of them in order to select the pieces they wanted to perform. The Rosamunde Quartet is a German string quartet that was formed in 1992; since the group disbanded in 2010, this is its last recording. The Hilliard Ensemble is a British male vocal quartet that is well known for its performance of Renaissance, medieval, and contemporary music. It has often performed the works of Arvo Pärt, whose music is somewhat similar to that of Yoffe.