The King's Singers - Gold (2017)

Marking the 50th anniversary of the indefatigable King's Singers, this is not, as might be supposed, a compilation, but rather an entirely new recording containing 60 tracks "that, we feel, [represent] all the styles and musical epochs that The King's Singers have championed across five decades of performing and recording." This is praiseworthy in itself; better still is how excellent the whole thing is. There are crowd favorites, new arrangements, and newly commissioned pieces. The three volumes are titled Close Harmony, Spiritual, and Secular. The most novel is the first volume, with arrangements of popular material, where the group's renderings of the likes of John Legend and even Beninese Afro-pop singer Angélique Kidjo seem as fresh as their unexpected readings of Beatles songs from 50 years ago. The arrangements are by various composers, both within the group and without, but they are united by an appreciation of the Singers' distinctive style. A favorite unifying device is to offer a long free introduction that resolves itself unexpectedly into the tune at hand. Sample And I Love Her, a Beatles song unjustly devalued by rockism, and pieces by English composer Bob Chilcott, who takes honors for making it onto all three of the volumes (his psalm Thou, my love, art fair appears on the second volume, and he arranges a song by Juan de Anchieta on the final volume). The second volume shows the group's continuing mastery of the pure English style from Renaissance to Romantic, and the Secular volume is as diverse as the pop set, ranging effortlessly from Josquin Desprez to Toru Takemitsu. Highly recommended.

TRACKLIST

1. We Are
2. And I Love Her (Arr. Bob Chilcott)
3. Don
4. Kelele (Arr. Toby Young)
5. And So It Goes (Arr. Bob Chilcott)
6. Down with Love (Arr. Gordon Langford)
7. All of Me (Arr. Alexander L
8. Shenandoah (Arr. Bob Chilcott)
9. Lamorna (Arr. Goff Richards)
10. Some Folks
11. See You Again (Arr. Christopher Gabbitas)
12. Alice in Wonderland (Arr. Gordon Langford)
13. Black Horse and The Cherry Tree (Arr. Alexander L
14. Danny Boy (Arr. Peter Knight)
15. I'll Follow The Sun (Arr. Bill Ives)
16. Bobby Shaftoe (Arr. Gordon Langford)
17. Love is Here to Stay (Arr. Richard Rodney Bennett)
18. Scarborough Fair (Arr. Christopher Gabbitas)
19. That Lonesome Road (Arr. Simon Carrington)
20. Loch Lomond (Arr. David Overton)
21. Down by the Riverside (Arr. Robert Rice)
22. MLK (Arr. Bob Chilcott)
23. The Prayer of King Henry VI
24. Sing Joyfully unto God Our Strength
25. Thou, My Love, Art Fair
26. Sicut cervus
27. In manus tuas Domine
28. Master of Music
29. Musica Dei donum optimi
30. 3 Geistliche Gesange, Op. 69: No. 3, Abendlied
31. Sermons and Devotions: No. 5, The Bell Doth Toll
32. 4 Petites prieres de Saint-Francois d
33. Das ist je gewislich wahr, SWV 277
34. 8 geistliche Gesange, Op. 138: No. 2, Morgengesang
35. This Marriage
36. Psalm 124
37. Versa est in luctum
38. Rest
39. Wymondham Chants: Scherzo. Tutivillus
40. 8 Part Songs, Op. 118: No. 3, The Bluebird
41. Be Not Afeard
42. 2 Songs, Op. 1: No. 1, Le papillon et la fleur (Arr. Goff Richards)
43. Dessus le marche
44. Though Amaryllis Dance in Green
45. Lagrimas de mi consuelo
46. Handmade Proverbs
47. 2 Choeurs, Op. 71: No. 1, Les Marins de Kermor
48. Con amores, la mi madre (Arr. Bob Chilcott)
49. 7 Lieder, Op. 62: No. 5, All meine Herzgedanken
50. 4 Gesange, D. 983: No. 4, Die Nacht
51. Revecy venir du Printans
52. Romance du soir, Op. 118
53. Horizons
54. Plaisir d
55. Come, Blessed Bird
56. The Little Green Lane (Arr. Samuel Ernest Lovatt)
57. Das G
58. Basiez moi!
59. Gentil sen
60. Quand tu dors pre