This I Have Done For My True Love

Like others here, I've heard several recordings of many of these pieces, and I've sung several of them. This is, by far, my favorite recording of a number of them.If I had to select one of the pieces, it would be "I Love My Love." The performance by the Holst Singers is *perfect* -- the singers are so totally in touch with the text and music that I cannot think of anything they could have done differently that would improve it. You can hear the sad desperation in the young girl's voice as she chants the song's title over and over from her cell in Bedlam through the vibrato-less almost "dead" sound of the sopranos. You can just picture her, driven nearly mad by the cruelty of her love's parents. You can hear the young man's passion as he races to rescue her; her quiet disbelief as she searches for the truth. They just don't write 'em like this anymore, and you won't hear a better interpretation of this anywhere else. The tempo is what it needs to be to convey the emotion and message of the text.I'll be using this as a "reference" recording for this music from now on. Bravo!!!

I love Holst's music. And if all you know is "The Planets" you are in for a treat. Holst never does the expected, never resorts to a musical cliché . This is an handsome and varied collection. The performance of every piece demonstrates remarkable musicianship at every lever. And the recording is fabulous. I could ask nothing more of the musicians or technitions involved. Enjoy!

Gustav Holst is far more than the composer of The Planets. I love The Planets, particuarly Neptune, and if you remember the choral singing which concludes Neptune you may understand why it will be worth your while to explore some of his other choral writing.

This is one of the most beautiful choral cd's I've ever heard or owned. I never get tired of listening to it, especially the title track. It is a great tool for prayer.

Well, it seems that some reviewers does not appreciate that CD as mush as I do. Personnaly, I have not heard other interpretations and I ignore all critics based on interpretation. It is useless to do so because that is a question of taste. Think about it: on what can we base ourselves to critic interpretation? There is only an answer: on ther other we heard. Which in particular? The first one. We get used to the first recording we listen to. Thus, any recordings that comes after is simply... not the same. Personnaly, I find this CD quite good, singers are perfect, sound is good and the selection is impeccable. All songs are incredible. A Welcome Song is just so lyric and Lullay My Liking so unforgettable. If I just give 4 stars it is because I cannot assume that ir is the best recording ever since I did not heard other ones (safe for some songs on other Holst's CDs).

The CD arrived on time and in perfect condition. I am totally satisfied with the product from this vendor.

Contrary to some of the others, I have heard many different recordings of these songs (I bought this CD 3 years ago), and I believe that Mr. Layton and the wonderful Holst Singers have done these short partsongs justice. I've always been a much bigger fan of GH's later works, and the recordings of his last piece for choir, O Spiritual Pilgrim (1932), and one of the Welsh Songs (1930), are just remarkably lush. Most of Holst's later music is very sophisticated and clever and perhaps this can ostracize some of his potential audience. The one downside to this otherwise wonderful CD is the Six Choral Folksongs. Holst was not particularly adventurous in these pleasant arrangements, and I don't think that they make the best closer to such a great survey of Holst's partsong writing.

This should be *much* better than it is; the singing is less refined here, under Stephen Layton, than the ensemble's older recordings under Hilary Davan Wetton. Much of the repertoire fails to be compelling, too, which is a second strike. "I Love My Love", probably the best and most loved piece here, is sung at a painfully slow pace... Sorry, folks, but this disc just isn't worthwhile.

Beautiful music sung by wonderful singers. For those of you who think Gustav Holst is just 'The Planets' then please look at other Holst music of which this is a truly recommended option.

Gorgeous singing and a great opportunity to get to know some of Holst's less weel known repertoire