"uniformly excellent"
Larry Beckwith, theWholeNote
"a superb performance"
John L. Speller, The Diapason
“Dazzling...resplendent...intimate and touching...mesmerizing artistry...a stunning tapestry. One glorious setting follows after another...breathtaking… Brief antiphons enchantingly sung by the Children's Chorus of Washington...adds to the spellbinding impact of the performance.
A veritable universe is encapsulated by this extraordinary and panoramic project...the latest feather in the cap for Robertson and The Thirteen...This Monteverdi rendering will do nothing but enhance their already considerable reputation.”
“Only John Eliot Gardiner in his 1986 Archiv recording dares to explore such a capacious sound space…Unlike many, very fine, English recordings of this music, these singers are unafraid to give it a bit of operatic passion…The choral singing, as it is throughout, is beautifully tuned, ensemble crisp but not excessively regimented, and above all shimmering in loveliness in the monastic air…The brass of the splendid and splendidly named Dark Horse Consort, particularly, glow like mellow old gold caught in the flickering candlelight. Robertson directs things in a sensible, unfussy manner…If I were to describe the prevailing mood it would be relaxed and smiling.”
David McDade, MusicWeb International RECORDING OF THE MONTH
“With 43 recordings of the Vespers listed in the ARG index, any new recording faces stiff competition…Matthew Robertson demonstrates a deep understanding of this music and is well served by the combined forces of The Thirteen and Dark Horse Consort (the Children’s Chorus of Washington…sings the chant antiphons).”
Charles E Brewer, American Record Guide
"appealingly deft... lively and precise but unfussy...”
"The Thirteen is an ensemble... light on its feet, yet capable of capturing exuberant splendor"
"[Soprano Michele] Kennedy's voice suits the music admirably, while the small but significant lyrical amendment ['I am a black and beautiful daughter of Jerusalem'] makes a bold and reasoned statement... about inclusion in the music of previous eras."
"enjoyable... informative and engaging."
Martin Clarke, Organists’ Review
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Album:
Recorded: Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America
Washington, DC, USA - October 24-25, 2022
Disc One (53:43)
1 Deus, in audjutorium
2 Antiphon: Dum esset rex in accubitu suo
3 Dixit Dominus
4 Nigra sum et formosa - Michele Kennedy
5 Antiphon: Laeva eius sub capite meo
6 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
7 Pulchra es, amica mea - Molly Quinn, Katelyn Jackson
8 Antiphon: Nigra sum et formosa
9 Laetatus sum
10 Duo Seraphim - Aaron Sheehan, Steven Soph, Oliver Mercer
11 Antiphon: Iam hiems transit
12 Nisi Dominus
13 Audi coelum verba mea - Oliver Mercer, Aaron Sheehan
Disc Two (39:48)
1 Antiphon: Speciosa facta es
2 Lauda, Jerusalem
3 Sonata sopra sancta Maria
4 Hymn: Ave maris stella -
Michele Kennedy, Katelyn Jackson, Edmund Milly
5 Antiphon: Sancta Maria succurre miseris
Magnificat
6 i. Magnificat anima mea Dominum
7 ii. Et exultavit
8 iii. Quia respexit
9 iv. Qui fecit
10 v. Et misericordia
Total Time: 93:31
Links: Matthew Robertson | The Thirteen | Dark Horse Consort |
Children’s Chorus of Washington | Download Press Release
