Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A brief glance at the packaging for this recording might make you think New Age, and indeed this label normally offers recordings in that vein. The disc's cover tells nothing about the music inside--all we see are the ruins of an ancient abbey, the moon in the sky on the front, the sun on the back. But wait. If you get far enough to listen to the recording, you'll find one of the most beautiful and beautifully programmed choral recordings in the catalog. The compositions, organized into the categories "Music of the Morning Rite" and "Music of the Evening Rite," are mostly from 16th- century composers--Byrd, Taverner, Sheppard, White--with a few Gregorian chants and a gorgeous rendition of the 20th-century motet by Duruflé, "Ubi caritas." Conductor/choral music legend John Rutter has assembled a program that's both uplifting and restful; the performance is faultless. One could only complain about the short (39 and a half minutes) playing time. --David Vernier

Tracks:

Music Of The Morning Rite: a. Alleluia - b. Haec Dies
Music Of The Morning Rite: Easter Sequence
Dum Transisset Sabbatum
Sanctus
Exsultate Deo
a. Easter Acclamations b. Surrexit Christus Hodie
Music Of The Evening Rite: Before The Ending Of The Day
Music Of The Evening Rite: In Pace
Music Of The Evening Rite: Into Thy Hands, O Lord
Music Of The Evening Rite: Ubi Caritas
Music Of The Evening Rite: Keep Me As The Apple Of An Eye And Nunc Dimittisa
Music Of The Evening Rite: O Christ, Who Art The Light And Day
Music Of The Evening Rite: a. We Will Lay Us Down In Peace b. Libera Nos, Salva Nos

Amazon.com

A brief glance at the packaging for this recording might make you think New Age, and indeed this label normally offers recordings in that vein. The disc's cover tells nothing about the music inside--all we see are the ruins of an ancient abbey, the moon in the sky on the front, the sun on the back. But wait. If you get far enough to listen to the recording, you'll find one of the most beautiful and beautifully programmed choral recordings in the catalog. The compositions, organized into the categories "Music of the Morning Rite" and "Music of the Evening Rite," are mostly from 16th- century composers--Byrd, Taverner, Sheppard, White--with a few Gregorian chants and a gorgeous rendition of the 20th-century motet by Duruflé, "Ubi caritas." Conductor/choral music legend John Rutter has assembled a program that's both uplifting and restful; the performance is faultless. One could only complain about the short (39 and a half minutes) playing time. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Choral work at it's finest........2007-06-03

I really enjoyed this work. I was first introduced to this title through American Gramophone's website and was also my first introduction in the works of John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers. You do not have be religious to enjoy this work. I find the music uplifting and very sublime. I have listened to it many times, and I find that my favorite period to play it is in the morning hours. .

I have since purchased many other Rutter titles including "Images of Christ", and more recently "Lighten our Darkness"

Love it.......2007-05-02

13 years ago, I had the tape of brother sun, sister moon and as a teenager and I would play it every night as I slept, I loved it. I dont know what happened to it and I have ever sence been looking for it, and I just baught the CD and am so excited.

Light and shadows.......2003-07-29

Recorded in the Great Hall of University College School, London, the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter produced a true masterpiece in 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon' in 1988. The title derives from a famous prayer by St. Francis of Assisi, and is inspired by liturgical music from (or derivative of) the Middle Ages and Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant. The music is meditative, uplifting, and elegant in simplicity and stunning vocal quality.

--Brother Sun--
The first half of the disc is largely composed of pieces from the liturgical Morning Prayer cycle, concentrating on texts from Easter, the most important of Christian days. From the Alleluia to the Acclamations and Surrexit Christus Hodie (Christ is risen today), the flow from Gregorian Chant to compositions by Byrd, Taverner and Palestrina (giants of this type of music) in increasing energy and glory, as befits both a Morning service (time to wake up!) as well as a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Perhaps of particular note here is the cantoring of bass Gerald Finley in the Easter Acclamations.

--Sister Moon--
The second half of the disc concentrates on music of the evening; in particular, the Compline service, a service of unwinding and sombre meditation with which monastic communities conclude their days of work and worship. Many churches have reincorporated Compline into a regular cycle of services; some have even done so as a result of exposure to this recording. The music here is softer and less energetic than that of Morning prayer. This includes music from Whyte and Sheppard (also masters of the Medieval-to-Renaissance liturgical polyphony) as well as a brilliant motet by twentieth century composer Duruflé for the Ubi Caritas.

--Liner Notes--
The notes for this recording include the titles and words, in both Latin and English, for each of the pieces recorded here. It has an excerpt from a prayer by St. Francis, and a basic introduction to the music relating it historically and liturgically. One thing conspicuously missing is any biographical information about John Rutter, or any descriptive information about the Cambridge Singers apart from the basic listing of singers.

--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.

--The Cambridge Singers--
The Cambridge Singers are a mixed choir of voices, many of whom were members of choir of Rutter's college, Clare College, Cambridge. While they specialise in English and Latin liturgical pieces, they have a wide range of recordings that span from modern compositions (including a remarkable requiem by Rutter) to English folk songs of the Middle Ages. For this particular recording, the choir consisted of eleven sopranos, six altos, six tenors, and six basses.

Cambridge Singers = Quality.......2002-05-23

I do love this cd, but tend to play certain tracks as my first love is chant. I play the Victimae Paschali Laudes in the car and sing along - it is so very beautiful that this rendition of this Easter Chant is worth purchasing this cd alone. I love that one track so much, my only criticism of the cd is that I wish they'd centered the entire cd on chant - and I hope they will do one like that in the future because the quality of the voices is stunning.

American Gramaphone, please reissue this title........2000-03-30

I originally obtained this CD through Minnesota Public Radio. The first time I listened to the Ubi Caritus, I was moved to tears. The CD became my favorite to play at Christmas and other times. I gave the CD to a friend who has moved to Oregon, deeply regret that it is no longer in production.

John Rutter trains his singers to sing without vibrato, and blends their voices with such balance that they come together as a single instrument. The selection on this CD is perfect to demonstrate the clarity and richness of this ensemble. If American Gramaphone does reissue this title, I will be first in line to purchase it.

Brother Sun Sister Moon
Average customer rating:
Brother Sun Sister Moon

Manufacturer: Tellurian Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CADMRG
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Dark Houses
Average customer rating:
Dark Houses

Manufacturer: A Girl & Her Monster Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00079YHRG

Product Description

Track Listing: 1. Where Oh Where; 2. Snow White; 3. Little Deaths; 4. Julie Bell; 5. Torture; 6. Not A Room.

Average customer rating:

A must own CD
best minneapolis music since prince
world trip
also check out....
One of my desert island discs

Great Game
Brother Sun Sister Moon
Manufacturer: Restless Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Acid Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Trip-Hop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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Luminous

ASIN: B000004A00
Release Date: 1997-03-11

Tracks:

The Great Game
Havana
Algiers
Bangkok
Timisoara
Cairo
Salvador
Nicosia
Kilronan
Lagos

Album Details

Brother Sun Sister Moon Feature Music that is Reminisent of Portishead. 10 Tracks featuring the Great Game, Havana, Bangkok, Salvador, and Others.

Customer Reviews:

A must own CD.......2007-01-10

If you are tired of the same old thing and are looking for something to immerse your self in then there is one of 2 albums you must own.

(The second being Luminous - Luminous)

Paul Robb - Founding member of the 80's band "Information Society" **
Supplies the "Trip-Hop" soundtrack

Barbara Cohen - a folk singer by trade melds pefectly into the rhythm's created by Paul Robb.

Long before Evenescence blended Classical Singing with Heavy metal Music,
Brother Sun Sister Moon (a.k.a. Luminous) Blended Techno and Trip-Hop with a Folk singer to make some of the best and most interesting music that I have come across in years.

** By the way Information Society fans, the comeback is just around the bend [...]

best minneapolis music since prince.......2004-03-02

Its so hard to explain this band beyond simply brilliant. The vocals are soulful and are conveyed in such a manner that you actually FEEL something from the recording. The music is beautiful, even the almost blatant Young MC bass line sample. It just works, and the whole album has a sense of completeness to it.

world trip.......2004-01-22

Actually, the lead singer's voice is closer to Souxsie of Souxsie and the Banshees than Portishead. The first track sucks you in!!! This CD is close to the trip-hop production of Bowery Electric's "Lush Life" in crackling vinyl sounds cradling electronic beats and bleeps.This is an excellent debut, but they have room to grow. And I look forward to it.

also check out...........2004-01-16

hello, just a hint: if you like this album, also check out Hometime by Alison Moyet . She made an exquisit popalbum with a trippy edge to it. She colabborated with the men behind Massive Attack and Goldfrapp (also a must have by the way :-)

One of my desert island discs.......2003-03-01

This is an album I keep coming back to over the years, and it always amazes me. I only wish that I could single-handedly convince everyone in the world to give this album (and the next album, under the name "Luminous") a chance.