Majesty of America
This two-CD set is a newly remastered compilation of 28 songs taken from the renownedMormon Tabernacle Choir's recordings of the 1960s and '70s. The Choir, directed by Richard P. Conde, is supported by alternating organists, the Columbia Symphonic Band, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The conductors include Arthur Harris, Jerold D. Ottley, and the great Eugene Ormandy. The singing is superb. The 300-voice choir's justly famous sound, which combines depth, weight, and clarity, and its impeccable intonation, balance, and flexibility are everywhere in evidence, while the splendid instrumental forces set mood and atmosphere and add the luster of triumphantly ringing trumpets to the many rousing marches. The mostly familiar popular songs celebrate prideful uplift and patriotic fervor; partly "traditional," partly "composed," they deserve their status as universal favorites. Unfortunately, they are consistently compromised by the quality of the arrangements, which owe more to the Hollywood soundtrack than to the indigenous American musical tradition. They are full of infelicitous modulations, abrupt key changes, and incongruous introductions, and several vocal settings seem at variance with the meaning of the song. Woody Guthrie's beloved "This Land Is Your Land" is almost unrecognizable; "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is sung too "straight" and lacks the idiomatic style and inflection of a spiritual. Most convincing are Sousa's marches and devout hymns like "Rock of Ages," which are allowed to retain their simplicity and speak for themselves.--Edith Eisler