Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Click cover art to view larger version
Track(s) taken from SIGCD502

There is a flower

composer
1986
author of text

The King's Singers
Recording details: May 2003
St Michael's Church, Highgate, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by Mike Hatch
Release date: October 2003
Total duration: 3 minutes 54 seconds
 

Other recordings available for download

Cecilia Osmond (soprano), Polyphony, Stephen Layton (conductor)
Quintin Beer (treble), St John's College Choir Cambridge, David Hill (conductor)
The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park (director)
Ruth Holton (soprano), The Cambridge Singers, John Rutter (conductor)
Ruth Holton (soprano), The Cambridge Singers, John Rutter (conductor)
Tenebrae, Nigel Short (conductor)
The King's Singers

Reviews

'In many ways, Praetorius was the most versatile German composer of his period. Whatever he turned his hand to, whether psalms, motets or hymns, the result was always highly imaginative and engaging, even though he wrote over 1000 choral settings. Es ist Ein Ros' entsprungen is sung here by the King's Singers, taken from their new album. The piece also exists as one of 11 chorale preludes written by Brahms in 1896. A great antidote to all those 'Yet more Carols from St Tedious' Cathedral, Dullshire' compilations that flood the market at this time of year. The King's Singers' style is beautifully detailed, and even the most familiar carols sound fresh. The diction isn't always as clear as it might be, but it's hardly a problem with works as popular as these' (Classic FM)

'The King's Singers have spooned out some sugar in their 35 year existence, though on their new release Christmas (****) they seem determined to prove themselves serious and slim. Signum SIGCD502 begins with plainsong (Veni, veni Emmanuel), immaculately delivered, though nothing beats the sixteenth-century Coventry Carol six tracks later, its passing harmonic abrasions particularly striking in the Singers' unique colouring (six voices, all male). They avoid red-nosed reindeer territory, but sprinkle the familiar with novelties such as a bubbling hymn to the Virgin from Arvo Pärt, and Jeremy Lubbock's arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Crown of Roses, deftly laced with the blues' (The Times)

'Throughout these 70-plus minutes and 25 tracks, we hear nothing but absolutely first-class musicianship, top-notch arrangements, and always thoughtfully chosen, entertaining repertoire that invariably and ideally suits the group's sound and style … the whole thing is just gorgeous, and if you love Christmas music recordings, well, what are you waiting for? This is one of the best ever' (Classics Today)» More
PERFORMANCE
RECORDING

'This morning I got the album of the new King's Singers' Christmas album—and I just wanted to say that I was totally blown away by this marvellous production! It's farmost the best vocal album I've heard for many, many years! Thank you and send my best to the ensemble and the production team. I'll see to this album will be played nation-wide by the Swedish Radio in Advent' (Sveriges Radio, Sweden)
The wistful, unaccompanied There is a flower, to words by the fifteenth-century poet John Audelay, was written in the mid-1980s at the request of the legendary organist and choir director of St John’s College, Cambridge, George Guest. It was first sung at an Advent carol service—a form of service which had become (and remains) immensely popular in the heady musical climate of Cambridge University, especially given that undergraduates leave for home several weeks before the season of Christmas truly gets under way. The opening solo recalls the talents of a particularly fine treble in the St John’s Choir at the time in question, whose name nonetheless seems lost to posterity.

from notes by Andrew Green © 2001

Sur des mots de John Audelay, un poète du Xve siècle, le nostalgique There is a flower pour chœur seul vit le jour au milieu des années 80 à la demande de l’organiste et chef de chœur de St John’s College de Cambridge, le légendaire George Guest. Sa première audition eut lieu au cours d’un service de carols de l’Avent—une forme de service qui est devenu (et demeure) immensément populaire dans le climat intensément musical de l’Université de Cambridge, d’autant plus que les étudiants quittent le campus plusieurs semaines avant que la saison de Noël ne débute à proprement parler. Le solo initial rappelle les talents d’un jeune sopraniste de l’époque appartenant au chœur de St John’s don’t le nom n’est toutefois pas passé à la postérité.

extrait des notes rédigées par Andrew Green © 2001

Das wehmütige, unbegleitete There is a flower, dessen Text von John Audelay stammt, einem Dichter des fünfzehnten Jahrhunderts, wurde Mitte der 1980er Jahre auf Bitten von George Guest komponiert, dem legendären Organisten und Chorleiter am St. John’s College Cambridge. Es wurde zum ersten Mal bei einem Carol Service zu Advent gesungen—einer Form des Gottesdienstes, die im berauschenden musikalischen Klima der Universität Cambridge vor allem deshalb ungeheuer populär geworden war (und es heute noch ist), weil die Studenten schon mehrere Wochen vor dem eigentlichen Fest aufbrechen, um nach Hause zu fahren. Das einleitende Solo erinnert an die Talente eines besonders edlen Knabensoprans im St. John’s Choir um die fragliche Zeit, dessen Name aber dennoch für die Nachwelt verloren zu sein scheint.

aus dem Begleittext von Andrew Green © 2001

Other albums featuring this work

Christmas
Studio Master: CDA68299Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
Christmas at St John's Cambridge
CDA67576CD temporarily out of stock
Christmas Night
CSCD526Download only
Joy to the World
Studio Master: SIGCD268Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
Rutter: Music for Christmas
CDA67245
Rutter: The John Rutter Christmas Album
CSCD510Download only
What sweeter music
SIGCD182Download only
Waiting for content to load...
Waiting for content to load...