Rutter: Te Deum: Requiem; Be Thou My Vision; All Things Bright and Beautiful; The Lord Bless You
Michael O'Neal Singers
ACA 20048 (Albany) 50 minutes

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This 145 voice choir was recorded in the 7000-member Roswell United Methodist Church in Atlanta, where Mr. O'Neal is Director of Music. Acoustics are adequate, but the miking seems remote enough to render the choir rather distant here and there. A seven-member instrumental ensemble accompanies very well. Solos for flute, oboe, cello, and harp are prominent; percussion and timpani supply extra rhythmic emphasis. The organ portion is superb.

O'Neal has picked standard Rutter fare here, though the Te Deum and 'Be Thou' don't get that much attention. In the former, unison choral passages alternate with fuller sections, and while the vocal parts are excellent, the snare drum and cymbals stand out too much. Were this a full orchestral accompaniment, they would be appropriate. There are plenty of hints of Walton's Te Deum. The Requiem, on the other hand is very effective. Because this version uses only a small accompaniment ensemble, the intimacy is enhanced. Every movement is well placed, balanced in choral parts, and really glows in the moments when just organ, harp, and choir combine. The soloist (Karen List) in two movements is fine-- every bit the equal of Rutter's Cambridge choice.

'Be Thou' has a superficial pop quality in the melodic turns that make it seem a bit shallow. Chord outlines characterize much of the piano's accompaniment. This piece and the following one use a chamber choir. 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' with piano assisting is the version most often heard in America's churches, and the rendition here is clear and well articulated, though the rolled-R pronunciation in "bright" is affected. Piano and organ support the concluding 'Lord Bless', and here the full choir gives us a model interpretation.

Most of these can be heard under Rutter's direction (Collegium 100 and 103). While the Requiem by the O'Neal choir equals Rutter's in enunciation, intonation, phrasing, and balance, it seems more intimate, more hushed and covered. For the remainder, however, the orchestra accompaniment with the Cambridge group is simply too delightful to overlook. Nonetheless, the Michael O'Neal choir is as professional as one could want. I'd like to hear them do a more varied program -- and how about a solo from that Roswell organist?

Donald E Metz 
American Record Guide, VOL 60, No 2, March/April 1997

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