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Product Description
Album Description
THE HEAVENLY VOICE THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD
Elin is Universal Classics and Jazz's first artist to appear on the recently resurrected Heliodor label with her beautiful new Baroque record 'Eternal Light'. Elin's crystal clear voice, with it's blend of tonal beauty and expressive intensity is the ideal instrument to reconnect modern listeners with Baroque music. 'Eternal Light' is conducted by Harry Christophers, founder of hugely successful choral group The Sixteen. Elin is accompanied by Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Welsh soprano Elin (pronounced Aylin) Manahan Thomas has spent most of her career to date gaining experience with many of the big names and ensembles in the classical singing world such as The Sixteen, The Monteverdi Choir and Polyphony. She has performed and toured extensively, and contributed on many recordings over the last few years.
This however is her debut solo album, having signed to UCJ (Universal Classics and Jazz) and is a collection of works from the renaissance and baroque eras which reflects her passion for this style of music, as summed up in her own words 'I'm a Bach, Handel and Purcell girl'. The album title incidentally is taken from a beautiful aria 'Eternal Source of Light Divine' composed by Handel for the birthday celebrations in 1713 of Queen Anne.
Much of the music here will be familiar to both classical music fans and followers of so called crossover artists, and for me its great appeal is in the authentic interpretation of well known works like Vivaldi's 'Nulla in mundo pax sincera' (there is no real peace in the world) and Handel's 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (let me weep). The recent trend is for performing these pieces with additional vocal embellishments and strong backing music, which I agree can enhance the music's drama and broaden its appeal, but it is equally exciting to hear these versions which are performed more in the style they would have been heard during their time.
The whole album follows this theme, from the opening piece 'O eucharius, in leta via', by Hildegard von Bingen (composed some 900 years ago) to the closing Monteverdi duet 'Pur ti miro' from Monteverdi's final opera L'incoronazione di Poppea composed in 1642.
I saw Elin perform live shortly after this album's release, and I thought her voice had a purity and restrained manner which lends itself perfectly to early music. Her singing provides drama but leaves the operatics to the glamorous mezzo sopranos of the (Welsh) world, and instead follows more in the style of Emma Kirkby.
I think there is room for one more soprano in today's classical music jungle and I look forward to her next album.
This however is her debut solo album, having signed to UCJ (Universal Classics and Jazz) and is a collection of works from the renaissance and baroque eras which reflects her passion for this style of music, as summed up in her own words 'I'm a Bach, Handel and Purcell girl'. The album title incidentally is taken from a beautiful aria 'Eternal Source of Light Divine' composed by Handel for the birthday celebrations in 1713 of Queen Anne.
Much of the music here will be familiar to both classical music fans and followers of so called crossover artists, and for me its great appeal is in the authentic interpretation of well known works like Vivaldi's 'Nulla in mundo pax sincera' (there is no real peace in the world) and Handel's 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (let me weep). The recent trend is for performing these pieces with additional vocal embellishments and strong backing music, which I agree can enhance the music's drama and broaden its appeal, but it is equally exciting to hear these versions which are performed more in the style they would have been heard during their time.
The whole album follows this theme, from the opening piece 'O eucharius, in leta via', by Hildegard von Bingen (composed some 900 years ago) to the closing Monteverdi duet 'Pur ti miro' from Monteverdi's final opera L'incoronazione di Poppea composed in 1642.
I saw Elin perform live shortly after this album's release, and I thought her voice had a purity and restrained manner which lends itself perfectly to early music. Her singing provides drama but leaves the operatics to the glamorous mezzo sopranos of the (Welsh) world, and instead follows more in the style of Emma Kirkby.
I think there is room for one more soprano in today's classical music jungle and I look forward to her next album.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I ordered this last Monday on the internet and received it last Friday. Since listening to it a couple of times already, I've fallen in love with this sublime album from Miss Elin Manahan Thomas. I first heard her through listening to Classic FM and thought that she had a delightful voice. When I heard she had an album of baroque music coming out I felt I should own a copy. And it's a gem and a sparkling debut album.
There's one track on here that got me interested in this singer since I heard it on Classic FM and that is Eternal Source Of Light Devine, a song written for the birthday of Queen Anne. It is sung so beautifully and with such conviction it almost sounds like it's from the era.
Elin (pronounced Aylin) has a magical and ethereal voice that takes you to another world of calm and heavenly angels flying around you making sure you're relaxed and taking in the beauty. These baroque songs are by the classic composers including Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Arne and Johannes Sebastian Bach among others. Miss Elin Manahan Thomas sings them with conviction and grace.
Difficult to pick a particular favourite from this amazing collection of songs. She sings them so beautifully. So as far as I'm concerned, I'll pick the whole album. What Elin Manahan Thomas has done with this enchanting album is bring baroque music to a whole new audience and to breathe new and much needed life into an old genre. This Eternal Light is set to shine for a long time yet. Classical music lovers will love this.
There's one track on here that got me interested in this singer since I heard it on Classic FM and that is Eternal Source Of Light Devine, a song written for the birthday of Queen Anne. It is sung so beautifully and with such conviction it almost sounds like it's from the era.
Elin (pronounced Aylin) has a magical and ethereal voice that takes you to another world of calm and heavenly angels flying around you making sure you're relaxed and taking in the beauty. These baroque songs are by the classic composers including Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Arne and Johannes Sebastian Bach among others. Miss Elin Manahan Thomas sings them with conviction and grace.
Difficult to pick a particular favourite from this amazing collection of songs. She sings them so beautifully. So as far as I'm concerned, I'll pick the whole album. What Elin Manahan Thomas has done with this enchanting album is bring baroque music to a whole new audience and to breathe new and much needed life into an old genre. This Eternal Light is set to shine for a long time yet. Classical music lovers will love this.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Elin Manahan-Thomas completed an MPhil degree at Cambridge University after gaining a prestigious starred first there in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. What a fortunate young woman to combine such a brain with beauty and an exquisite singing voice.
I first saw her singing a short solo section with The Sixteen and was immediately struck by her voice. She says that she likes to hear people say that her voice is "unique". Well, it certainly has an indefinable quality. Others use the word "ethereal" and that perhaps is as close as one can get.
This CD is a fine advertisement for Baroque music and perhaps it will encourage more people to enjoy it. Ms Manahan-Thomas will never be a celebrity such as Katherine Jenkins, partly because she specialises in Baroque music rather than "crossover" music, and partly because she does not have the glamour of Jenkins. Perhaps her appearances on BBC's "Songs of Praise" as both performer and presenter will introduce her to a wider audience.
I first saw her singing a short solo section with The Sixteen and was immediately struck by her voice. She says that she likes to hear people say that her voice is "unique". Well, it certainly has an indefinable quality. Others use the word "ethereal" and that perhaps is as close as one can get.
This CD is a fine advertisement for Baroque music and perhaps it will encourage more people to enjoy it. Ms Manahan-Thomas will never be a celebrity such as Katherine Jenkins, partly because she specialises in Baroque music rather than "crossover" music, and partly because she does not have the glamour of Jenkins. Perhaps her appearances on BBC's "Songs of Praise" as both performer and presenter will introduce her to a wider audience.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Beautiful voice - showcased with Baroque favourites.
Elin Manahan Thomas has an alluring voice, really beautiful tone with fautless intonation, and a touch of light vibrato which she develops on the longer notes to add colour. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Andrew S
That beautiful piece of music in that Audi hot rod advert
I knew about Elin long before that hot rod advert and I was suprised to hear it in a commercial during the 2010 World Cup. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Darrendarren
A beautiful collection
I am not generally a fan of compilation albums, but I heard the soprano perform one piece from this disc on Radio 4 and brought the CD on the basis of this. Read more
Published on 23 Dec 2009 by Matthew Culley
Mildly disappointing
I totally agree with everyone else that Ms. Thomas has indeed a glorious set of vocal cords, to match the glorious pair of eyes, which are given much exaggerated prominence in the... Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2008 by Teemacs
highly recommended
Elin is a superb singer and can be favourably compared with the likes of Emma Kirkby, Anke Hermann and the other premier league performers of what I think is generally termed... Read more
Published on 22 July 2007 by Mr. G. G. Mellor
beautiful
From the samples on Elin's website, this promises to be a top album!! Looking forward to it. Great choice of songs and beautifully sung.
Published on 25 May 2007 by A. Bolton
Beautiful
Having been a huge fan of The Sixteen's previous work I was delighted to see that Elin Manahan Thomas has recorded a solo album. Read more
Published on 23 April 2007 by Hans
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