First-St. Andrew's United Choir: Feelin' the Sp...

[Benjamin A. Vazquez U.E.]

Feelin' the Spirit

Artist: Fist-St. Andrew's United Choir
Album: Feelin' the Spirit
Year: 2010
CD#: XXXXX
Best Tracks: #2, #4, #5, #6, #8, #13, #14
Comments Overall: Magnificent. Mostly traditional gospel, toned down and given a classical polish. Some additional treats. Heartfelt. Most tracks end in applause.

1. Walk In The Light, 3:58 - Robust. Unison singing. Male & female call & response during verses. Ends on high note.
2. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, 3:47 - Sweet. Quiet. Beautifully done. Rises magnificently in places. Classic.
3. My God Is So High, 2:34 - Robust. Slightly awkward composition.
4. I'm Gonna Sing, 2:40 - Active & energetic. Male soloist backed by a gospel choir.
5. Shall We Gather At The River?, 3:07 - Instrumental piece - bells. Sweet, charming. Wind-up music box feel. Ends quietly and without applause.
6. Oh, Glory!, 5:29 - Begins slow, quiet, with female soloist. Calm, sweet. Becomes more active & energetic. Classical gospel. Picks up a lot before the end. Slows down, then ends on a high note.
7. Deep River, 2:48 - Begins with piano. Deep singing. Soulful. Majestic.
8. Deep River, 4:15 - Instrumental piece - piano & bells. Same melody as #7. Deep. Beautiful. Ends without applause. Following #7 with #8 would be an excellent combination.
9. This Little Light Of Mine, 3:10 - Children's voices. Traditional hymn. Breaks out suddenly. Active. Lively. Piano accompaniment.
10. Keep Your Lamps!, 3:15 - Begins with drumming. Steady. Rhythmic. Almost hypnotic.
11. Hush! Somebody's Callin' My Name, 4:49 - Begins softly. Call-and-response. Soulful.
12. Witness, 3:23 - Call-and-response. Lively & energetic. Stacatto. Robust.
13. Jesus Lay Your Head In The Window, 5:12 - Begins with flute. Serene & beautiful. Male soloist. Calm, slow, heartfelt. Magnificently mournful.
14. A Little Jazz Mass, 11:18 - Active, open, and clear. Jazzy. Backed by a band - piano, doubble bass, percussion. Varies greatly throughout. Latin mass set to jazz rhythyms. Excellent overall.
15. You Better Min', 3:39 - Female soloist begins verses, chorus finishes with her. Lovely, simple.
16. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho, 2:01 - Instrumental piece - bells. Rhythmic, lovely. Moves along nicely. Reminds me of classic Christmas cartoons. Ends without applause.
17. Soon And Very Soon, 3:32 - Choir backed by piano. Powerful. Full & rich. A fitting conclusion.

Note I: Also posted under Choral Music.
Note II: "female soloist" = Sonja Gustafson; "male soloist" = Ross Dodington.

Website: www.fsaunited.com

[Benjamin A. Vazquez U.E.]

What do you first think of when I say "London Music"? Olenka & the Autumn Lovers? The Rizdales? Handsome Dan & his Gallimaufry?

All excellent options, true, but do you, per chance, think of a choir?

London's choral offerings, after all, are easily on par with its offerings in any other genre. There are the seculaur groups: The Amabile Singers and the Cantorian Choir, but many of the city's best choirs are cloistered within the walls of the city's churches. It's not a group who's members have their praises sung often. They tend to show up weekly, be heard by a handful of parishioners, and to give special concerts rarely if ever. Be that as it may, their music is magnificent.

I must admit to a special preferance for the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, but that of First-St. Andrew's United has long had a reputation as among the city's best. We - finally - have a CD to proove it.

"Feelin' the Spirit" is Gospel at its best, with a classical polish tossed in to boot. Heartfelt, spiritual, magnificent. And if that were it, that alone would be quite enough.

But there are a dozen little extras tossed in to keep us even more happy. First there are the soloists. Sonja Gustafson - a name every Londoner should be familiar with - and Ross Dodington offer magnificent performances throughout the CD. Then there are the bells - an orchestra of bell ringers performing on a half-dozen of the tracks. Indeed, three of the pieces are entirely instrumental - the bells, the piano, and percussion.

And then, tucked midway through the CD is a jazz interuption. Just to make life a bit more interesting.

Everything fits together magnificently.

- Reviewed by Benjamin A. Vazquez, U.E.