Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    I don't know whether you're looking for recommendations on composers
    or musicians or both, but as for musicians, I can't say enough good
    things about the King's Singers.  The King's Singers are a group of
    six gentlemen from England -- two countertenors, a tenor, two baritones,
    and a bass -- who are the most amazing a capella singing group I've
    ever heard (on some recordings they are accompanied by instruments, but
    in performance they sing a capella).  Their voices, musicianship, blend,
    everything is just incredible (and they have a great sense of humor!).
    Madrigals are their specialty; they've done a TV series called "Madrigal
    Mystery Tour" wherein they went to different European cities where
    madrigals flourished during Madrigal Heyday and sang and gave interesting
    historical tidbits. 

    I have two King's Singers CDs, one of which is called "English Madrigal
    Collection" or some such (the other is a collection of American folk songs
    like "Home on the Range").  They are JVC CDs (most of the info on the
    covers and in the little booklets are in Japanese); I got them at the
    Berkshire Record Outlet in Lenox, Massachusetts.  I haven't seen any King's
    Singers CDs in the usual places (Lechmere, etc.), alas.

							-- Nina

    P.S.  The King's Singers are performing at Symphony Hall in Boston, MA
    on Sunday, November 22, 1987 at 8:00 PM.

Another good group is Chanticleer, out of San Francisco.  They are ten 
men, of what particular distribution I can't say.  They appeared on tour 
as part of the Community Concerts series last year, and their repertory, 
blend, etc. are quite good.  (I admit that they're not as good as the 
King's Singers, who have no peers on this earth or, perhaps, any other!)

Chanticleer have put out several records on various labels, all LP or 
cassette, alas.  Check in Schwann - among their best is a collection of 
early Christmas music.

- Dick Binder

Chanticleer has just released a CD on the Harmonium Mundi label.  There is a
review of it in the latest Digital Audio and Compact Disk Review.

Their early music is very good, but they tend to be very top heavy (emphasis on
higher voices) in my opinion.

AAA

    
    The MCA CD budget series has a release of "Italian Madrigals". 
    It's peformed by a group called the Amaryllis Consort and costs
    $10.99 at Lechmere's.  It has 20 madrigals (some of the titles have
    the words 'solo harp' in parenthesis) and as with all of these MCA
    series, is DDD.  I don't have this disc but I would also appreciate
    any reviews or recommendations on this or other madrigal discs.
    
    Marty