What is the worst recorded CD you have?

Telarc made a number of recordings of Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony doing large scale choral works. They were uniformly awful--thick, opaque, congested on both ends--finding popularity only with people who were impressed by blatty organ pedal notes and huge banks of muddy choral sound (same folks who buy recordings of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). Some say that Shaw--a dying autocrat at the time--insisted on the mix.

will

Sugarbrie, you're right, of course. But there is a big difference between coherent choral sound and muddy, smeary recording technique. Listen to recent recordings of the Kings College boys and men to hear the difference. They have a new release (sorry, info not at hand but email me if you want it) of the Handel Coronation Anthems that is absolutely superb from both choral and recording perspectives.

It was my privilege to sing for Mr. Shaw on a number of occasions. Until his last few years he was a marvelous choral pedagogue. At the end, his hearing had gone and he became a petty tyrant--no fun at all.

Lord, grant us the wisdom to know when to quit.

will

Sugarbrie: I'm relocating to DC and looking forward to getting back into some quality choral singing. I attended a workshop done by Alice Parker some years ago. Wow! She blew us away. Love her arrangements.

Good luck with the concert; wish I could hear it.

will