Vision 2004

John Rutter has selected some of his favorite church anthems from previous releases of his music to put together the collection Be Thou My Vision. Most of these have full orchestral accompaniment, as Rutter prefers these versions over those with just organ, but there are also a few a cappella anthems thrown in as well, which sound just as lush and graceful as the orchestral ones. The brief, a cappella God be in my head uses a sixteenth century text and hints at the music used in churches from the same period. It is Rutter's smooth and rich, yet not complex, writing that has made his music popular with audiences and amateur performers alike. Of course, this recording features his own Cambridge Singers, with the City of London Sinfonia, all under his baton and sounding highly polished. The lack of pretense or condescension in his music is also appealing. Some of the texts he uses could have much more grandiose settings, and have had by other English composers, but Rutter always goes for a more simple elegance, usually with a serene calmness, also. O clap your hands and For the beauty of the earth use jazzy rhythms to give them a little more energy than the other works here. The compilation contains many of his more popular anthems, such as A Gaelic Blessing, All things bright and beautiful, and I will life up mine eyes from his Requiem. It's a fine sampling of his non-Christmas church music.

Roland Prince - Color Vision (1976) {Universe–Vanguard UV059 rel 2004}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 325 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 118 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2004 Universe / Vanguard Records | UV 059 / VMD-79371
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Post Bop / Guitar

Caribbean-born soul-jazz guitarist Roland Prince's 1976 Vanguard solo debut "Color Visions" comes to life on this CD reissue. Prince was sideman on Elvin Jones' many '70s releases as well as doing time with trumpeter Clark Terry. This solo set finds him in superb form.

Naxos' album devoted to Carson Cooman's instrumental works, including symphonies, chamber music, and solos, represents an infinitesimal portion of his output; his opus numbers were in the 700s before he was out of his mid-twenties, and include pieces written in virtually every genre of Western music. Inevitably, there are some areas in which he will be stronger than others. His choral music is especially compelling: well written for the voice, with excellent text setting in a style that is not simple, but is also immediately engaging.