I heard them singing this for the first time in Luxembourg at least 20 years ago. After the interval, I'd moved into the front row, just a few feet away. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven. Joseph Jennings was singing with them. Must have been in the 90s.
As a Lutheran marrying a Catholic in a Lutheran church, I wanted to honor the faith history of my bride and her family. I asked seven male friends (six of mine and one of hers) to sing this during the ceremony. Not quite Chanticleer, but listening to it that day was magical, and this song will always be special place for me.
An appropriate choice. Luther himself said, of Mary:"[She is the] highest woman and the noblest gem in Christianity after Christ . . . She is nobility, wisdom, and holiness personified. We can never honor her enough. Still honor and praise must be given to her in such a way as to injure neither Christ nor the Scriptures." (Sermon, Christmas, 1531)
We sang this in my colleges chamber choir this year, we went on a tour to Italy and got to sing this song in some AMAZING spaces over there, and it was so hard for me to get through the entire song without choking up or just flat out crying, especially since I'm Catholic. This rendition of the Ave Maria is so special, how we love our blessed mother.
First heard a previous incarnation of Chanticleer singing this on NPR in my car a few years back during a very stressful, anxious time in my life. The beauty of it touched me so deeply -- moved me to tears.
@@rickdeckard1075 these days, yeah, the news offerings are basically uselessly biased. It’s basically as partisan as commercial right wing radio, for the (social) left. But…there’s still funding that goes into classical stations that they sponsor in markets that would otherwise be bereft of said music. Which all *should* agree is a worthwhile use of public funds.
@@bobross7005 you mean the classical stations that literally *only* play music conducted by joanne falletta, becuz SHEEZ A GURRHHL announced by lisping turbogay DJs lol... no, no CIA/mockingbird "public radio" for me, bro. this is all going to end badly.
This is so beautifully done... Biebl's "Ave Maria" is once of those pieces that I never get tired of hearing (Morton Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" is another).
there are different patterns of beauty... regardless of whether they are Catholic or Muslim... the beauty of sound is one... a man ... (i mean human being)
A worthy listning find is a remarkable bar scene. Cantus finds Chanticleer in a bar. Talk leads to song. Song is Ave Maria, the Franz Biebel's rendition. Listen and look at the bar staff and their recognition that this is special.
I keep forgetting the fact that half of those singing the Choir I part are singing different ranges than they typically do...and it's still outrageously good!
the Classical Station always with their monotone introductions and sopoforic announcements after which I gasped in reverence and started sobbing hearing this in the car today
I have seen/heard them live. They did not sing Biebl but it was wonderful; they were amazing in their presentation of all the music sung. Intonation -- impeccable. It was lovely.
I heard this just now, on 'Classic FM', in the car.. So, once I got home, I had to come and see as well as hear these wonderful gentlemen.. BRAVO all, that was utterly sublime and very moving to.. Best wishes to all from Wales.
I think it’s the finest ever written. And it’s amazing that little-known Biebl reached off into the aether - the heavens? - and snatched this jewel for all mankind.
Everything that is best in what I am, what I have been and what I aspire to manifest in this life and in the next, lies within each note of this exquisite piece.
I remember Chanticleer visiting my high school (pdhs) a few years ago and our entire women's ensemble got to hangout with them and watch them perform for us in the church. It was a beautiful experience/memory that I'll never forget.
I'm actually surprised at how much I enjoyed a little more motion. At the start I wasn't sure it was going to work but I like the quicker pace. To each their own interpretation but I would likely take the same tempo when I direct. It's quite an amazing sound.
This is an extraordinary performance in so many ways. It's beautifully balanced, together enough (but not so much as to be unnatural), the upper voices are the best I've ever heard, and it's musical.
Beautiful. A little faster than the original recordingl and a few other changes. I prefer the original recording but either way no one sings this beautiful song like Chanticleet. They are an amazing group. I've seen them perform in person many times. Many but not enough.
This is the fastest tempo I have heard them perform this and also the loudest. Still can't beat the original recording which is so restrained, but this is also interesting.
I think Gregory is correct. The acoustics of the performance space can make an enormous difference. A good performance must take that into account. Too fast in an extremely live space will get muddled. In a "dead" space there may seem to be gaps in sound. This is why dress rehearsals are so important and why there may be last minute changes which a professional group can handle.
@@sidmeyer2011 I agree. Having been part of a touring choir in addition to chamber and symphonic, humidity is an enemy which cannot be controlled. I recall one run through around noon and it was fine. The sound went to the back of the cathedral. By concert time, after a thunderstorm, the humidity just stopped the sound from going past the first 10 rows. Our director changed things as needed regarding temp etc and it was fine. Always watch the conductor!
I'm familiar with this Ave Maria from live and recorded performances by Canada's vocal ensemble 'musica intima." It's interesting to read of its being made famous by this choir and to compare it as performed by an all male ensemble vs. another highly accomplished choir with strong male and female voices.
This is absolutely amazing. Out of all of the arrangements of this song I've heard and played this has to be my absolute favorite :) I'd love to hear if anyone has anything like this that they'd be interested in suggesting!
How did these guys not feature in Gramophone's "World Greatest Choirs" list? The choirs in ascending order of votes (20-1) are: 20 I Fagiolini Specialising in Renaissance and contemporary music, I Fagiolini are a British solo-voice ensemble directed by Robert Hollingworth. The group are renowned for their themed performances - “The Full Monteverdi” and “Tallis in Wonderland”, for example - and are also active in commissioning new works. 19 Arnold Schoenberg Choir Founded in 1972, the Arnold Schoenberg Choir have enjoyed a close association with director Nikolas Harnoncourt for the past 25 years and remain one of the most versatile and sought-after vocal ensembles in Austria. 18 Stile Antico Including three sisters among their ranks, Stile Antico rehearse and perform without a conductor and have experienced exponential success since they won the audience prize at the Early Music Network Young Artists’ Competition in 2005. The group have released five discs with Harmonia Mundi since 2007, including one Gramophone Award winner. 17 The Balthasar-Neumann Choir Unusually founded before the orchestra of the same name, the Balthasar-Neumann Choir, so-called after the Baroque architect, perform as a free association of singers under creator and director Thomas Hengelbrock. 16 Westminster Abbey Choir The blend of tradition and versatility of the Westminster Abbey Choir, combined with a unique polish and personality, has resulted in numerous recordings with Hyperion. The choir have continued to flourish under James O’Donnell’s direction during the past decade. 15 Les Arts Florissants The 30-year-old Les Arts Florissants have, under William Christie’s direction, consistently won critical plaudits, drawing praise for their vivid performances and for giving up-and-coming singers opportunities to flourish and develop. 14 Choir of New College, Oxford The sound of the trebles is what many people prize in this very impressive choir - bright, incisive and intense. A daily helping of liturgical music keeps the choir grounded in sacred music, but there’s also a flexibility and elegance there too that brings a wide range of music within the choir’s unique embrace. 13 The Tallis Scholars Founded by Peter Phillips in 1973, The Tallis Scholars’ sound has become, for many, synonymous with early polyphonic repertoire (music of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries). The Tallis Scholars' sound is flexible, full but always full of power - and with their own recording label, Gimell, it’s a sound that has reached the four corners of the planet. 12 Choir of King’s College, Cambridge One of the most famous choirs in the world, with an immediately recognisable sound - thanks in large part to the remarkable acoustic of King’s College Chapel - it remains quintessentially English in timbre. Each new music director has not only put his stamp on the King’s music-making, but has also broadened the Choir’s repertoire. 11 The Dunedin Consort One of the youngest choral contenders, the Scottish Dunedin Consort was founded in 1996 and have, since 2000, been conducted in the larger choral repertoire by John Butt - an association that has produced a string of impressive recordings for Linn Records (including the Gramophone Award-winning set of Handel’s Messiah). 10 Swedish Radio Choir One of mainland Europe’s great vocal ensembles, the Swedish Radio Choir is the one that Claudio Abbado would regularly call on when he performed choral music: and their EMI recording of the Verdi Requiem, made in 2001, is a tribute to their power and personality, one that always stays intensely human. 9 RIAS Kammerchor Well known internationally through their very fine recordings for Harmonia Mundi (mainly under Marcus Creed and his successor Daniel Reuss), the RIAS Kammerchor have a remarkably homogenous sound and terrific power. They sing a wide repertoire and bring a great sense of bite and concentration of sound that makes a deep impression in music as different as Mozart’s Idomeneo and Frank Martin’s Golgotha. 8 Accentus Founded in 1991 by the conductor Laurence Equilbey, Accentus are a virtuoso chamber choir with a huge following thanks to their superb series of recordings of transcriptions for Naïve. Accentus’s repertoire stretches from the romantic masters of the 19th century to music of the 20th century. 7 Collegium Vocale Ghent Founded 40 years ago by Philippe Herreweghe as a 16-voice chamber choir, Collegium Vocale have various different "guises" for different repertoires, though a composer central to the choir’s work remains JS Bach. 6 Wells Cathedral Choir One of the oldest choirs in the UK, Wells Cathedral Choir are made up of lay clerks who live in the famous 14th-century Vicars Close and sing in a choral tradition that has remained unbroken for around 800 years (though now they have girls singing alongside the trebles). 5 Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge It's only a few years since Stephen Layton - who appears further up the list with Polyphony - took over as director of music at Trinity College. In that time, numerous recordings, not least that of music by David Briggs, have revealed what an accomplished, committed choir they are. 4 The Sixteen Under the expert command of founder Harry Christophers, The Sixteen have combined musical excellence with bold, well-thought-out programmes, to become one of today's greatest of all choral ambassadors. 3 The Cardinall’s Musick This year's Gramophone Recording of the Year winners - for the final disc in their exploration of the music of William Byrd - thrive on a musical approach making the most of the virtuosity of their individual voices. 2 Polyphony Stephen Layton's choir have become renowned for both their sound and versatility - whether in early music, or contemporary works such as those of Eric Whitacre, they embody the remarkable tradition of British choral excellence at its finest. 1 The Monteverdi Choir For 40 years, Sir John Eliot Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir have been the voices behind some of the most powerful and perceptive Baroque recordings in the catalogue, not least the hugely ambitious Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of the year 2000, but the choir’s range is also a strength (this past year has found them singing Bizet’s Carmen, Brahms’s A German Requiem and the Monteverdi Vespers among much else, and Weber's Der Freischütz looms large on the horizon).
I mean to be fair, there are a lot of choirs that are legendary not mentioned here. There is a large bias towards choirs who perform Western European works with orchestra here. Choirs that the could have made the list taking into account their ability in the acapella format would be: 1. Robert Shaw Festival Singers - one of the most well-rounded groups in choral history, and one of the few to have a robust bass section outside of russia. They were the first American choir to record Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil in 1990, the basses down to Bb here : th-cam.com/video/OEHufcT3jmw/w-d-xo.html 2. St Petersburg Chamber Choir - This was Russia’s premiere choral group in the 1990’s traveling all over the world presenting music from their culture. They won the Best Choral Performance Grammy in 1994, also for the Vigil. Their most notable recording is “We Praise Thee” by Chesnokov : th-cam.com/video/pI8qFWQa4YQ/w-d-xo.html 3. Tenebrae - this London-based ensemble was the first to record Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, this group is very talented, having the ability to sing acapella and with accompaniment at a very high level. Here is a recording of the 4th mvt of the Path of Miracles : th-cam.com/video/oSNMhg5vUog/w-d-xo.html
A magnificent piece sung by a magnificent ensemble. And I'm pleased also that someone had the sense to remove the Sacrament beforehand. Edifying on both counts.
My favorite piece of music EVER. My only complaint about this performance is, it feels rushed. They don't let the music soar and float as it should. :-( The short solo portions, in contrast, feel too slow, even though they're just right. I love Chanticleer's performances, but their earlier recordings of this are so much better. I just listened to the VOCES8 recording before this, and while they do a shorter version, it was IMO a truer performance to the spirit of the piece.
Agree about earlier performances. They were more balanced. This one is a little to loud in the tenor. Voces 8 is lovely, but it should be illegal to omit the third verse.
What I’ll expect to hear walking into heaven..
You bet!!
I heard them singing this for the first time in Luxembourg at least 20 years ago. After the interval, I'd moved into the front row, just a few feet away. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven. Joseph Jennings was singing with them. Must have been in the 90s.
Only if you're really really good!
You won't have to walk.
Wouldn’t that be glorious!
As a Lutheran marrying a Catholic in a Lutheran church, I wanted to honor the faith history of my bride and her family. I asked seven male friends (six of mine and one of hers) to sing this during the ceremony. Not quite Chanticleer, but listening to it that day was magical, and this song will always be special place for me.
That sounds completely lovely. Swim the Tiber, fren ☺️
My friend, you are on your way. Anyone who loves the Blessed Mother… she eventually snags. She takes us directly to her Son.
An appropriate choice. Luther himself said, of Mary:"[She is the] highest woman and the noblest gem in Christianity after Christ . . . She is nobility, wisdom, and holiness personified. We can never honor her enough. Still honor and praise must be given to her in such a way as to injure neither Christ nor the Scriptures."
(Sermon, Christmas, 1531)
Si può avere traduzione in italiano dei commenti?Grazie .Chiedo scusate.Inostri Chenticleer sono bravissimi!!!!!
Not impressed, to be honest… though much better sound than the current roster. It’s just not the same as when it was originally founded.
If society could harmonize like these voices the world would be such a beautiful place to be in.
In a hall like that you have to hold the applause for at least five seconds
*cathedral, but yes!
I will never understand why there is always one person who has to clap before the sound has even settled.
Hard to imagine that I will ever hear anything more beautiful in my life.
We sang this in my colleges chamber choir this year, we went on a tour to Italy and got to sing this song in some AMAZING spaces over there, and it was so hard for me to get through the entire song without choking up or just flat out crying, especially since I'm Catholic. This rendition of the Ave Maria is so special, how we love our blessed mother.
So blessed I get to sing with these men in Portland 😋
The last "men" syllable prompted me to instantly cry, silently. Bravissimo. Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, Maria 🤲🏽🙇🏽
The most beautiful rendition of one of the most beautiful choral pieces of all time.
Had the incredible privilege of singing this in men's choir in college in a cathedral. It was phenomenal.
Absolutely beautiful. If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it and sit as close as you can. An unreal experience.
starwf07 even better is singing with em 😋😋
Yes, I sat in the front row when I heard them sing this at the Carmel Mission, and was left in a puddle of tears.
Can't remember the year, but I saw/heard them at Interlochen in Corson Auditorium the first time they were there.
Slower is more appealing
Got introduced to them in '93 and have seen them many times since. Amazing in person!
I visit this all year, but now, leading up to and through Advent, I will cherish it even more. Such Comfort and Joy!🙋🏼♀️💞🌲❄️
The way the tenors punch the "men" in the final "amen" -- surprised me, in a good way!
First heard a previous incarnation of Chanticleer singing this on NPR in my car a few years back during a very stressful, anxious time in my life. The beauty of it touched me so deeply -- moved me to tears.
NPR moves me to nausea
@@rickdeckard1075 Thanks for letting us know how ignorant you are.
@@rickdeckard1075 these days, yeah, the news offerings are basically uselessly biased. It’s basically as partisan as commercial right wing radio, for the (social) left.
But…there’s still funding that goes into classical stations that they sponsor in markets that would otherwise be bereft of said music. Which all *should* agree is a worthwhile use of public funds.
The piece is truly inspirational.
@@bobross7005 you mean the classical stations that literally *only* play music conducted by joanne falletta, becuz SHEEZ A GURRHHL announced by lisping turbogay DJs lol... no, no CIA/mockingbird "public radio" for me, bro.
this is all going to end badly.
I TRULY believe Chanticleer singing this piece will go down in history as one of the greatest musical performances of all time.
This is so beautifully done... Biebl's "Ave Maria" is once of those pieces that I never get tired of hearing (Morton Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" is another).
This is heavenly! My first time hearing them and I'm blown away! All the intricate parts are as close to perfect as possible, if not there already!
I witnessed them live at Met Museum - they closed with this Biebl gem and wife and I were elevated to tears.
God bless you Greg. I would have been too!
how can you not be?
I’ve had the privilege of hearing Chanticleer perform this live many times, most recently a few weeks ago. It never fails to bring me to tears.
Im muslim. And i love this
atheist. same
@@ayrrisaunario6847 yess
The Catholic Church and her Faith is beautiful!
there are different patterns of beauty... regardless of whether they are Catholic or Muslim... the beauty of sound is one... a man ... (i mean human being)
i love this piece so much, i’ve been coming back to youtube all day just to listen to it😭
My choir were honoured to sing this in the Santa Maria Monastery in the Montserrat mountains, it was a truly magical experience!
Its the most beautiful choral work ive ever heard
A worthy listning find is a remarkable bar scene. Cantus finds Chanticleer in a bar. Talk leads to song. Song is Ave Maria, the Franz Biebel's rendition. Listen and look at the bar staff and their recognition that this is special.
We used this song...by Chanticleer...for our wedding processional 25 years ago.
For me, this is THE definitive performance and interpretation of this piece.
Try decaf later in the day
2nd solo just hits you right with chills
Same here! Amazing voice.
I dont know how they do it, tears just flow the whole time for me.
Unmatched brilliance and beauty!! I love it just as much as the older version. I'd love to hear them live
I keep forgetting the fact that half of those singing the Choir I part are singing different ranges than they typically do...and it's still outrageously good!
This is not only the Ave Maria, but the prayer known as the Angelus, which is based on Lk 1:26f.
This is my favorite Ave Maria. Sang it once. It is awesome! I listen to it when I need inspiration.
I'd LOVE to see these amazing singers ...OMG!!
The most beautiful song Just stunning
the Classical Station always with their monotone introductions and sopoforic announcements after which I gasped in reverence and started sobbing hearing this in the car today
Sang they version in high school choir we had a top level high school choir in FL. was super fun but very difficult song.
Magnificent performance, bravo!!
I have seen/heard them live. They did not sing Biebl but it was wonderful; they were amazing in their presentation of all the music sung. Intonation -- impeccable. It was lovely.
I heard this just now, on 'Classic FM', in the car.. So, once I got home, I had to come and see as well as hear these wonderful gentlemen.. BRAVO all, that was utterly sublime and very moving to..
Best wishes to all from Wales.
This is such beautiful and moving music and truly fitting for the beautiful Church they are singing in
I’d love to hear these guys sing the Dominican version of Salve Regina. Just exquisite harmonies going on here. Magnificent.
I've had the honor of singing this with the NYC Gay Men's Chorus many years ago. The setting remains my favorite setting of this text.
I think it’s the finest ever written. And it’s amazing that little-known Biebl reached off into the aether - the heavens? - and snatched this jewel for all mankind.
Everything that is best in what I am, what I have been and what I aspire to manifest in this life and in the next, lies within each note of this exquisite piece.
So happy to see my Cathedral of Saint Paul!✝️
Great setting of the Angelus. Love the chant interludes.
We saw them perform in Berkeley last night. This always brings me to tears.
OMG, this is "wooow"... make me crying all the time I hear that. Thank you so much for this performance!
Just beautiful!
One of the most gorgeous, lush vocal renditions and arrangements of the beautiful song that I've EVER heard! Ahhhhh....💗💗
I remember Chanticleer visiting my high school (pdhs) a few years ago and our entire women's ensemble got to hangout with them and watch them perform for us in the church. It was a beautiful experience/memory that I'll never forget.
Simply Amazing.
I'm actually surprised at how much I enjoyed a little more motion. At the start I wasn't sure it was going to work but I like the quicker pace. To each their own interpretation but I would likely take the same tempo when I direct. It's quite an amazing sound.
This is an extraordinary performance in so many ways. It's beautifully balanced, together enough (but not so much as to be unnatural), the upper voices are the best I've ever heard, and it's musical.
so grateful for this beautiful music.
How I imagine heaven sounds! Deo Gratias!
Peace and Joy 💕
Truly sublime.
My favorite men's choir. Andy VanAllsburg's family is from my church, his parents a good friends of mine.
Magnificent voices in a spectacular setting....totally gorgeous and wonderful singing !
Amazing 😍
Wooooooow!✌❤
Heavenly! Saw them perform this live and was not disappointed.
Epic and amazing. My favorite song to get my in the holiday spirit. So glad to have this new version to add to my mix! Gratsi!
So excited to be singing this wonderful piece with my choir for our winter concert!
Sink into it; there's no need to dominate.
The best I’ve heard!
soothing such beautiful voices
That last note makes my heels rise.
Heavenly!
Stellar ✌🏻✌🏻
Beautiful.
damn this hard asf. Yall be makin straight bangers🔥
Przepięknie. Dziękuję.
So well performed blended and balanced for emotional delivery and somatic response
Heavenly perfection, like angels, beauty and technique. ¡¡¡¡¡BRAVISSIMOS!!!!!!
i got sent here via a youtube link and this is so far my favourite link. this is seriously really beautiful and they sound amazing.
Amazing piece and rendition
Magnificent!! What a surprise on Easter Day!! Bravissimi!! God blessYou!!
Extraordinario grupo y extraordinaria interpretación!
I cannot listen to them without tissues, whether it's live or in recordings.
Beautiful. A little faster than the original recordingl and a few other changes. I prefer the original recording but either way no one sings this beautiful song like Chanticleet. They are an amazing group. I've seen them perform in person many times. Many but not enough.
This is the fastest tempo I have heard them perform this and also the loudest. Still can't beat the original recording which is so restrained, but this is also interesting.
thinkin the same thing. felt a little uncoordinated at times but still lovely.
Tempo is hard in this song, go too slow and it can be a dirge and it's hard to keep the pitch when it's too slow. (In my experiences with it anyway)
@@Shtuhtefup I think the tempo may have something to do with the space.
I think Gregory is correct. The acoustics of the performance space can make an enormous difference. A good performance must take that into account. Too fast in an extremely live space will get muddled. In a "dead" space there may seem to be gaps in sound. This is why dress rehearsals are so important and why there may be last minute changes which a professional group can handle.
@@sidmeyer2011 I agree. Having been part of a touring choir in addition to chamber and symphonic, humidity is an enemy which cannot be controlled. I recall one run through around noon and it was fine. The sound went to the back of the cathedral. By concert time, after a thunderstorm, the humidity just stopped the sound from going past the first 10 rows. Our director changed things as needed regarding temp etc and it was fine. Always watch the conductor!
They and Voces8 are the best!
They were one; they could be again.
I feel so sad to hear “amen.” Never stop singing!
I'm here because of heavenly sheesh. Love it
I'm familiar with this Ave Maria from live and recorded performances by Canada's vocal ensemble 'musica intima." It's interesting to read of its being made famous by this choir and to compare it as performed by an all male ensemble vs. another highly accomplished choir with strong male and female voices.
This is absolutely amazing. Out of all of the arrangements of this song I've heard and played this has to be my absolute favorite :) I'd love to hear if anyone has anything like this that they'd be interested in suggesting!
Chanticleer made this piece famous and they still do it the best.
Wish I could have been there. :/
Oh my God. I forgot to breathe.
🌹🙏📿💐
Beautiful. Why do some of the singers stand close together on the left and a few stand apart on the right?
I was raised totally american southern babptist
And im in recovery meetings for it
How did these guys not feature in Gramophone's "World Greatest Choirs" list?
The choirs in ascending order of votes (20-1) are:
20 I Fagiolini
Specialising in Renaissance and contemporary music, I Fagiolini are a British solo-voice ensemble directed by Robert Hollingworth. The group are renowned for their themed performances - “The Full Monteverdi” and “Tallis in Wonderland”, for example - and are also active in commissioning new works.
19 Arnold Schoenberg Choir
Founded in 1972, the Arnold Schoenberg Choir have enjoyed a close association with director Nikolas Harnoncourt for the past 25 years and remain one of the most versatile and sought-after vocal ensembles in Austria.
18 Stile Antico
Including three sisters among their ranks, Stile Antico rehearse and perform without a conductor and have experienced exponential success since they won the audience prize at the Early Music Network Young Artists’ Competition in 2005. The group have released five discs with Harmonia Mundi since 2007, including one Gramophone Award winner.
17 The Balthasar-Neumann Choir
Unusually founded before the orchestra of the same name, the Balthasar-Neumann Choir, so-called after the Baroque architect, perform as a free association of singers under creator and director Thomas Hengelbrock.
16 Westminster Abbey Choir
The blend of tradition and versatility of the Westminster Abbey Choir, combined with a unique polish and personality, has resulted in numerous recordings with Hyperion. The choir have continued to flourish under James O’Donnell’s direction during the past decade.
15 Les Arts Florissants
The 30-year-old Les Arts Florissants have, under William Christie’s direction, consistently won critical plaudits, drawing praise for their vivid performances and for giving up-and-coming singers opportunities to flourish and develop.
14 Choir of New College, Oxford
The sound of the trebles is what many people prize in this very impressive choir - bright, incisive and intense. A daily helping of liturgical music keeps the choir grounded in sacred music, but there’s also a flexibility and elegance there too that brings a wide range of music within the choir’s unique embrace.
13 The Tallis Scholars
Founded by Peter Phillips in 1973, The Tallis Scholars’ sound has become, for many, synonymous with early polyphonic repertoire (music of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries). The Tallis Scholars' sound is flexible, full but always full of power - and with their own recording label, Gimell, it’s a sound that has reached the four corners of the planet.
12 Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
One of the most famous choirs in the world, with an immediately recognisable sound - thanks in large part to the remarkable acoustic of King’s College Chapel - it remains quintessentially English in timbre. Each new music director has not only put his stamp on the King’s music-making, but has also broadened the Choir’s repertoire.
11 The Dunedin Consort
One of the youngest choral contenders, the Scottish Dunedin Consort was founded in 1996 and have, since 2000, been conducted in the larger choral repertoire by John Butt - an association that has produced a string of impressive recordings for Linn Records (including the Gramophone Award-winning set of Handel’s Messiah).
10 Swedish Radio Choir
One of mainland Europe’s great vocal ensembles, the Swedish Radio Choir is the one that Claudio Abbado would regularly call on when he performed choral music: and their EMI recording of the Verdi Requiem, made in 2001, is a tribute to their power and personality, one that always stays intensely human.
9 RIAS Kammerchor
Well known internationally through their very fine recordings for Harmonia Mundi (mainly under Marcus Creed and his successor Daniel Reuss), the RIAS Kammerchor have a remarkably homogenous sound and terrific power. They sing a wide repertoire and bring a great sense of bite and concentration of sound that makes a deep impression in music as different as Mozart’s Idomeneo and Frank Martin’s Golgotha.
8 Accentus
Founded in 1991 by the conductor Laurence Equilbey, Accentus are a virtuoso chamber choir with a huge following thanks to their superb series of recordings of transcriptions for Naïve. Accentus’s repertoire stretches from the romantic masters of the 19th century to music of the 20th century.
7 Collegium Vocale Ghent
Founded 40 years ago by Philippe Herreweghe as a 16-voice chamber choir, Collegium Vocale have various different "guises" for different repertoires, though a composer central to the choir’s work remains JS Bach.
6 Wells Cathedral Choir
One of the oldest choirs in the UK, Wells Cathedral Choir are made up of lay clerks who live in the famous 14th-century Vicars Close and sing in a choral tradition that has remained unbroken for around 800 years (though now they have girls singing alongside the trebles).
5 Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge
It's only a few years since Stephen Layton - who appears further up the list with Polyphony - took over as director of music at Trinity College. In that time, numerous recordings, not least that of music by David Briggs, have revealed what an accomplished, committed choir they are.
4 The Sixteen
Under the expert command of founder Harry Christophers, The Sixteen have combined musical excellence with bold, well-thought-out programmes, to become one of today's greatest of all choral ambassadors.
3 The Cardinall’s Musick
This year's Gramophone Recording of the Year winners - for the final disc in their exploration of the music of William Byrd - thrive on a musical approach making the most of the virtuosity of their individual voices.
2 Polyphony
Stephen Layton's choir have become renowned for both their sound and versatility - whether in early music, or contemporary works such as those of Eric Whitacre, they embody the remarkable tradition of British choral excellence at its finest.
1 The Monteverdi Choir
For 40 years, Sir John Eliot Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir have been the voices behind some of the most powerful and perceptive Baroque recordings in the catalogue, not least the hugely ambitious Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of the year 2000, but the choir’s range is also a strength (this past year has found them singing Bizet’s Carmen, Brahms’s A German Requiem and the Monteverdi Vespers among much else, and Weber's Der Freischütz looms large on the horizon).
Perhaps G-Phone didn't consider them to be a "choir?"
I mean to be fair, there are a lot of choirs that are legendary not mentioned here. There is a large bias towards choirs who perform Western European works with orchestra here. Choirs that the could have made the list taking into account their ability in the acapella format would be:
1. Robert Shaw Festival Singers - one of the most well-rounded groups in choral history, and one of the few to have a robust bass section outside of russia. They were the first American choir to record Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil in 1990, the basses down to Bb here : th-cam.com/video/OEHufcT3jmw/w-d-xo.html
2. St Petersburg Chamber Choir - This was Russia’s premiere choral group in the 1990’s traveling all over the world presenting music from their culture. They won the Best Choral Performance Grammy in 1994, also for the Vigil. Their most notable recording is “We Praise Thee” by Chesnokov : th-cam.com/video/pI8qFWQa4YQ/w-d-xo.html
3. Tenebrae - this London-based ensemble was the first to record Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, this group is very talented, having the ability to sing acapella and with accompaniment at a very high level. Here is a recording of the 4th mvt of the Path of Miracles : th-cam.com/video/oSNMhg5vUog/w-d-xo.html
Hi xfinity espn3 What is the source?
how might this be legally streamed in a worship service?
A magnificent piece sung by a magnificent ensemble.
And I'm pleased also that someone had the sense to remove the Sacrament beforehand. Edifying on both counts.
Thanks for mentioning; I didn't realize.
Very, Very Fine...Where is this St. Paul Cathedral?
St. Paul (Minnesota)
Where is Eric allatore..?? Who replace him..? Is he good..? I am a huge fan of Eric.. bring him back..!!!
My favorite piece of music EVER. My only complaint about this performance is, it feels rushed. They don't let the music soar and float as it should. :-( The short solo portions, in contrast, feel too slow, even though they're just right. I love Chanticleer's performances, but their earlier recordings of this are so much better. I just listened to the VOCES8 recording before this, and while they do a shorter version, it was IMO a truer performance to the spirit of the piece.
Agree about earlier performances. They were more balanced. This one is a little to loud in the tenor. Voces 8 is lovely, but it should be illegal to omit the third verse.
You could sing the alphabet & i would love it!!!