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DCD34184-CD
£24.99
Siglo de Oro’s first commercial recording sees the choir and its director Patrick Allies in collaboration with saxophonist Sam Corkin. Their intriguing programme highlights the saxophone’s natural kinship with the human voice, as well as the endless expressive possibilities which this versatile instrument stimulates in the imaginations of modern composers. Its athletic vigour launches Will Todd’s O Wisdom, the first of eight settings of the Advent antiphons in English which, having been commissioned by the present artists, now form the backbone of this recording. Elsewhere the instrument soars above the voices’ urgent prophecy and imploration, while the choir is heard unaccompanied in glowing renditions of sixteenth-century polyphony – works by Pierre Certon, Antoine de Mornable, Michael Praetorius and Josquin des Prez, whose music complements the atmosphere of quiet expectancy proper to Advent.
"a debut with a difference...A novel, ungimmicky project, vividly executed"
"Invigorating…Professional London startups can sound frustratingly generic but this one hits you with its character and depth"
"This marvellous disc offers a stimulating new slant on the music of Advent. Don’t pass it by as “just another Christmas disc”. This is highly original and superbly performed. Siglo de Oro have made a most auspicious debut on disc"
"This is Siglo de Oro's first commercial recording, and it is a smash hit on all counts. The singing is beautifully shaped in both the renaissance and contemporary repertoire, and although the singers constantly gravitate towards a slightly robust style, their acuteness of observation is a constant delight. Sam Corkin's saxophone playing is passionately versatile, and his dedication to the cause is one of the many high points of this disc. Patrick Allies' direction is precisely detailed and cohesive and yet the choir is always given free reign to express itself with joy and freedom"
MUSIC & VISION
"Superb singing"
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
"It sets perfectly the mood of anticipation and waiting that is so much a characteristic of the Advent season."
CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY
Category: Advent & Christmas, Choral, Early Music, Patrick Allies, Sam Corkin, Siglo de Oro