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About this blog

Thoughts on:

 

• music

• computer audio

• hifi

• nostalgia

 

Please feel free to comment and add to the discussion...

Entries in this blog

Music I Love

11,000 Virgins: Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula was both my introduction to the works of Hildegard von Bingen, as well as to Anonymous 4. What an introduction it was! The recording surrounds pieces written for the Feast of St. Ursula, who, according to legend, was massacred by the Huns together with her 11,000 virgin handmaidens. While Hildegard von Bingen wrote only 7 of the 18 pieces, the imprint is clear. Having the four voices of Anonymous 4 then sing the pieces is amazing. Chants sung by

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foodfiend

Music I Love

This was probably one of Kate Bush's most mainstream offerings, and yet, Hounds Of Love is far from that. For the second half of the album is titled, The Ninth Wave, and is a conceptual masterpiece. Yes, everyone knows the stunning Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), and even the other singles on the album. However, it is The Ninth Wave that really shines, with glimpses of ice-skating gone wrong, to vignettes of the Salem witch-hunts. Yes, they are not the most immediate, but you can slowly

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foodfiend

Music I Love

I was rather curious about Latin American baroque music, and how it would be different. So I leapt at the opportunity to buy a copy of Fire Burning In Snow by Ex Cathedra, conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore. It mainly features the works of Juan de Araujo, although it is interspersed with verses of Hanacpachap Cussincuinin, which lends a different flavour. Juan de Araujo's compositions truly shine in polyphonic glory: the vesper psalm Dixit Dominus is set for triple choir and in eleven parts! Indeed i

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Music I Love

I remember watching the music video of Sister Drum/阿姐鼓 back in 1996. The landscapes were stunning, and captured all the air of mysticism of Tibet. The music was haunting and beautiful. Ethereal!   Through the years, Sister Drum is still amongst the tracks I use when I want to audition a new audio set-up. Even if you do not understand Mandarin and what is being sung, you owe it to yourself to at least listen to it once.   Sister Drum on amazon.com

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Music I Love

I still remember the first time I heard this recording. I was strolling into the branch of Tower Records in 1990, and walked into the Classical Music section, and they were playing this disc. I was totally enthralled by the recording, and this started by journey with early music. Originally released under the Hyperion label, the price has now been reduced under the budget Helios label.   Link to the Album at Hyperion Records

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What Is Happening To Great British Hifi?

I was a bit shocked when I heard that Arcam had been sold to Harman International. This led me to think about the days of my nascent interest in high fidelity. It also made me realise that none of the brands that I bought from, to build my first audio set-up, remain in their original form. I had a Cambridge Audio CD3 compact disc player, which was one of the best sounding players at that time (Cambridge Audio is now owned by Audio Partnership), the Audiolab 8000C/P pre-amplifer/power amplifier c

foodfiend

foodfiend




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