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Classic FM Anthems 2008

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Various Artists

July 14, 2008

Classic FM has attempted to provide the classical music version of `rock anthems' to shake your head and punch the air to, an equivalent of Rainbow's `Long Live Rock 'n' Roll' anthem of the 1970's. Does it work? Yes of course it does because the Classic FM marketing team are in touch with the needs of today's classical music listeners.

The track list is comfortably predictable - Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner), Carmina Burana (Orff), Jupiter (from Holst's Planets), Pomp & Circumstance (Elgar's Land of Hope and Glory), A Night on a Bare Mountain (Mussorgsky) and many, many more.

Those `many more' include three outstanding performances - Alfie Boe's version of Nessun Dorma, David Garrett's virtuoso (and breathtakingly ... Read More:

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Favourite Welsh Choirs

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Various Artists

July 03, 2000
The quality of the accompanyments and the production quality are outstanding. This is undoubtedly the best Welsh Male Voice choir recording in my collection.

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Classic FM Babies

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Katherine Jenkins, Elin Manahan Thomas, Julian Lloyd-Webber, Pascal Roge, Herbert Von Karajan, Charles Dutoit, Harry Christophers, London Symphony Orchestra

July 23, 2007

A lovely 2CD Classic FM compilation of relaxing music - for mothers as much as their babies - consisting of an interesting assortment of baroque, classical, romantic and modern music with the underlying theme of aiming to relax the listener.

Some pieces are chosen partly for their title as well as the soothing effect they have, these include the 'Lullaby' by Brahms and 'The Swan' from 'Carnival of the Animals' by Saint-Saens. The more contemporary offerings are by popular composers such as Patrick Hawes. These are good recordings, as expected by Classic FM, many of which will be comfortably familiar to most of the radio shows listeners.

Comfortably safe by Classic FM maybe, but comfortably relaxing too.

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Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Alfred Brendel

January 18, 1994
Brendel sets the mark for other performers for seven of Beethoven's finest piano sonatas.

Although brendel sticks to the notes, he still manages to leave his mark on the music.

recommended !

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Abide with Me - 50 Favourite Hymns

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
from: Double Decca

July 08, 1996
I have often listened to church music thinking to myself is it all manifested in the same place and released under different titles? However this selection 'hits the spot' with some great renditions of worshipful music and if you like to listen to part singing then cd 1 is excellent. There also some lovely descants some of which i had not heard before, an inspiring selection. Excellent.

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Gilbert and Sullivan - Favourites

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Gilbert and Sullivan

March 07, 2005
I have often listened to church music thinking to myself is it all manifested in the same place and released under different titles? However this selection 'hits the spot' with some great renditions of worshipful music and if you like to listen to part singing then cd 1 is excellent. There also some lovely descants some of which i had not heard before, an inspiring selection. Excellent.

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Chopin: Favourite Piano Works

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Vladimir Ashkenazy

September 18, 1995
As an avid lover of Chopin I felt a "Best of" collection would lack depth, however i found this to be simply not the case. From the deeply moving Nocturns, powerful Ballades to the surprisingly interesting waltzes and Sherzos this collection is the best introduction to a brilliant composer. Ashkenazy as ever plays Chopin's works with more fluency than almost anyone on modern record, enough to spark anyone's interest in Chopin and his era of piano musc, i strongly urge you to buy this collection and then expand upon it!

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Famous Hymns from Westminster Abbey

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
from: Essential Classics

November 05, 2001
Great hymns, great choir, great singing. Why not 5 stars? Well, I feel that towards the beginning of this disc there are moments when the performance is somewhat wooden. I don't know if it's beacuse of the grandness of the choir and the abbey or if it's because you couldn't hear the choirboys (later in the disc you can hear them and it is pure grace), but it is only forever so slightly marred by that.

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Favourite Carols from King's

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
from: Studio

October 28, 1996
Great hymns, great choir, great singing. Why not 5 stars? Well, I feel that towards the beginning of this disc there are moments when the performance is somewhat wooden. I don't know if it's beacuse of the grandness of the choir and the abbey or if it's because you couldn't hear the choirboys (later in the disc you can hear them and it is pure grace), but it is only forever so slightly marred by that.

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Gregorian Chant - Favourites

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > General AAS
by: Schola Des Peres Du Saint

March 07, 2005
Great hymns, great choir, great singing. Why not 5 stars? Well, I feel that towards the beginning of this disc there are moments when the performance is somewhat wooden. I don't know if it's beacuse of the grandness of the choir and the abbey or if it's because you couldn't hear the choirboys (later in the disc you can hear them and it is pure grace), but it is only forever so slightly marred by that.