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Series One of the BBC's groundbreaking classical music programme follows renowned actor and former chorister Simon Russell Beale as he explores the flowering of Western sacred music. This four-part documentary series contains a rich mix of personal, political and musical stories and features some of the greatest music ever written, all performed by Harry Christophers and his award-winning choir, The Sixteen.
Review
A beutifully filmed series that should inspire many to investigate further --The Gramophone.may 2010
The interplay of music,image and appealingly-elaborated context creates a rich polyphony of its own. performance **** Picture and sound **** extras *** --BBC Music Magazine. April 2010
The interplay of music,image and appealingly-elaborated context creates a rich polyphony of its own. performance **** Picture and sound **** extras *** --BBC Music Magazine. April 2010
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
95 of 97 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best things the BBC has made in years,
By Darrendarren "daz" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sacred Music (The BBCs Groundbreaking TV Series) [DVD] [2010] (DVD)
These shows were aired in the autumn of 2009 in the afternoon and was perfect viewing before catching the football scores. Here we have all four programmes with extras on two DVDs. Simon Russell Beale takes us through four periods: the Gothic Revolution, Palestrina, Tallis and Byrd, and finally J. S. Bach. The fact the series ends here might suggest that there might be another series (please!) looking at maybe Handel, Henry Francis Lyte and others.
Beale is excellent as a presenter. He has secure knowledege without sounding pompous and arrogant and he also does not try to be "a nice guy" like many others these days. He gets on with the programme without dumbing down leaving others to be anaytical, chiefly Harry Christophers, the conductor of The Sixteen who provide most of the excellent music. Choral music of this kind rarely gets any attention and to hear it played in these magnificent cathedrals remind us of why they were written. The show also does not force religion onto the viewer and the show can be throughly enjoyed by all. I seriously did not think you could enjoy an hour of Gregorian chant but with the visuals, interviews and performances you can.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous and long overdue,
By Bezza "Bezza" (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sacred Music (The BBCs Groundbreaking TV Series) [DVD] [2010] (DVD)
As someone who has sung in this tradition for most of my life, this is a wonderful opportunity to revisit some of my favourite repertoire and to have it set in its historical and social context. Very illuminating. More significantly, perhaps, is the attention this series turns on the art of choral singing and the precious value of sacred music, at a time when is very existence is threatened. Were it not for the endowed choral institutions of the great cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges, this priceless tradition in the UK might already have gone the way it has in the rest of Europe and the wider Western-Christian world: virtual extinction. I now live in Germany, birthplace of Bach, where the paucity of decent choirs - let alone good choirs - is striking. Finding a choir that can technically master Bach is rare now, and the prevailing level is low to poor. In France and Italy, almost non-existent. The few clips this DVD offers of Italian choirs attempting this repertoire are tellingly awful. The choir of the Sistine Chapel would not even make the relegation league reserves' XI of the English choral hierarchy.
While I lose myself in the wonderful music that comprises this series, and the superb singing and musical direction of the Sixteen, I am reminded that, without such choirs and such committed and knowledgeable conductors, the music itself would cease to exist. The Church in England, under the pretext of a drive for "relevance", has done its best over the last few decades to stamp it out; thank God it has somehow survived. Perhaps in another generation, those in a position to influence such things will realise the mistakes of their predecessors and actively work to protect and revitalise this unique tradition. It can only be hoped. Simon Russell Beale is an excellent narrator, without the self-conscious mannerisms and intellectual vanity of someone like Melvyn Bragg, and charmingly cannot resist allowing his personal love of the music to come through his narration. Close to tears on seeing an autographed manuscript of Palestrina or the signature of Thomas Tallis, which I can well understand. Harry Christophers and The Sixteen are also a splendid choice as performers and musical guides, with Christophers providing some keen insights into more technical aspects of the music. What a fine choir. As to the poor technical quality of the DVDs mentioned by other reviewers, I am fortunate that my copy plays perfectly. For anyone with an existing love of or interst in this extraordinary music, I can only recommend this intelligent and moving production.
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last the DVD!,
By
This review is from: Sacred Music (The BBCs Groundbreaking TV Series) [DVD] [2010] (DVD)
I saw this series when it first went out in late 2008 on BBC 4 and was captivated by the combination of the glorious music and the learned approach to the development of the western choral tradition; I was frustrated to discover that the BBC hadn't made it available on DVD despite repeating it in 2009 (and now in 2010). Hooray for Corus, yet again!
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