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the unaccompanied voice

i’m partial to a cappella singing in a several genre. i’m hoping i’m not alone in this and, thus, seek recommendations of such performances from my compatriots on the ‘gon. let me begin with a listing of a few recordings that are among my favorites:

• fairfield four; almost anything, but particularly “standing in the safety zone” and “I couldn’t hear nobody pray.”

• the persuasions; “frankly a cappella” (a tribute to zappa) and “might as well” (a tribute to GD)

• the bobs; “...cover the songs of”

• “the unaccompanied voice” (secretly canadian cd)

• the roches; “the roches”

• chanticleer; “colors of love”

• anonymous 4; “11,000 virgins” (hidegard von bingen), also , not quite a cappella but beautiful “voices of light” (richard einhorn)

please share some of yours.

-cfb
cornfedboy
gregm
3,395 posts
 
Recommend Lassus', Motets (Hilliard Ensemble (ECM)). For something a bit different. Also (within the "different" vein) Tchaikovski, Liturgy of St. John (EMI) -- or any other Orthodox liturgy compil. Cheers
mezmo
516 posts
 
I picked up a collection entitled simply "Voices" that claims to be a "collection of the worlds greates choirs" about 12 years ago that is a real treat. It is a boxed, 3-disk set that includes everything from Russian choral arrangements to whalesong, Ladysmith Black Mambazo to Tibetan monks. Don't know if it is still available (and it certainly isn't all unaccompanied voice -- as it also includes excerpts from everything from gospel to Motzart's Reqium) but it has some really intersting stuff that I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. If you're interested, let me know and I can take a closer look at it and try to supply more details. (I don't have the box or the rather large booklet that came with it anymore, only the disks, but I can certainly have a look).
rcprince
3,059 posts
 
Excellent suggestions. In addition, try Sacred Feast on dmp (hybrid SACD if you have a player) and the Rutter/Cambridge Singers series on Collegium, particularly Faire is the Heaven, There is Sweet Music (listen to Stanford's "The Blue Bird--you literally hold your breath as they sing it), Ave Maria and their madrigal album Flora Brought Me the Sweetest Flowers (or something like that). Shaw also recorded Schubert Songs for Male Chorus on Telarc, which is primarily unaccompanied singing, and with his old chorus there was Deep River on RCA, nice arrangements of spirituals. Finally, there are some recordings of Russian choruses which I have heard (unfortunately, I didn't get the group or label) which are terrific and worth getting if you can find them--as a bass/baritone, I only wish I could reach as low as those Russian basses!
cornfedboy OP
1,645 posts
 
thanks all for your great suggestions thus far. anybody out there with any doo-wop faves?

-cfb
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
There are some Gregg Smith Doo-Wop arrangements of Thomas Morley (Elizabethan) madrigals; not sure if they are on CD. They were sung on NPR Garrison Keillor's show, so may be available. We are performing two of them at a free concert in Baltimore on 2/24, along with the traditional madrigal. They are very funny.
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