Glorious

One of many classical crossover releases designed to capitalize on the patriotic spirit that's swept the U.K. in 2012, Suffolk soprano Laura Wright's second solo album, Glorious, has a stronger pedigree than most thanks to the inclusion of the official anthem of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. With its African drums, cinematic strings, and tribal chants, "Stronger as One," the album's only original composition, feels more like a number from The Lion King than a dedication to Britain's second longest-reigning monarch, but other than the delicate fingerpicking acoustic rendition of Bette Midler's "The Rose," the rest of the follow-up to 2011's folk-themed The Last Rose is far more traditional. Alongside rousing choral numbers such as Hubert Parry's "Jerusalem" and Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory," there are much-loved Celtic ballads "Danny Boy" and the Robert Burns-penned "A Red, Red Rose," a gorgeously elegant interpretation of Vera Lynn's World War II standard "The White Cliffs of Dover," and perhaps unsurprisingly given the current wave of Olympic fever, a suitably anthemic adaptation of Vangelis' classic "Chariots of Fire." An exquisite a cappella reworking of Elgar's "Nimrod," a piece she previously performed on All Angels' second album, Into Paradise, shows just how much her voice has developed since her classical girl band days. And although she's sometimes drowned out by the City of Prague Philharmonic's occasionally bombastic arrangements, particularly on Princess Diana favorite "I Vow to Thee, My Country," Glorious, on the whole, more than justifies its title. ~ Jon O'Brien

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Works Details

Parry, Charles Hubert : Jerusalem

Performers: Steven Baker (Piano); Steven Baker (Programming); Laura Wright (Voice)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 52 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1916

Baker, Steven : Sanctus, for voice, chorus & orchestra (after Elgar's Nimrod)

Performers: Laura Wright (Voice); Steven Baker (Programming)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 22 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Choral

Kent, Walter : The White Cliffs of Dover

Performers: Fridrik Karlsson (Guitar); Steven Baker (Programming); Laura Wright (Voice)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 52 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1941

Vangelis : Chariots of Fire, theme from the film score

Performers: Laura Wright (Voice); Steven Baker (Piano); Steven Baker (Programming)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 8 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Film Score

Weatherly, Frederick E. : Danny Boy

Performers: Laura Wright (Voice); Steven Baker (Programming)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 4 min. 4 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Vocal

Barry, John : Born Free

Performers: Laura Wright (Voice); Steven Baker (Programming)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Notes: Composition written: 1966.
Running Time: 3 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Film Score
Written: 1966

Hartshorne, Robert : Stronger As One, for voice, chorus & orchestra

Performers: Lincoln Jean-Marie (Chant); Steven Baker (Programming); Laura Wright (Voice)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 28 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Vocal

Burns, Robert : My love is like a red, red rose

Performers: Steven Baker (Programming); Steven Baker (Piano); Laura Wright (Voice)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 19 sec.
Period Time: Classical

Holst, Gustav : I vow to thee, my country

Performers: Laura Wright (Voice); Steven Baker (Programming)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 43 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Choral
Written: circa 1921

McBroom, Amanda : The Rose

Performers: Steven Baker (Programming); Steven Baker (Piano); Laura Wright (Voice); Fridrik Karlsson (Guitar)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary

Elgar, Edward : Land of Hope and Glory, for voice & piano (arr. by Benson from March Op.39/1 & Coronation Ode Op.44)

Performers: Steven Baker (Programming); Laura Wright (Voice)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 3 min. 30 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Vocal
Written: 1902

Jenkins, Karl [Composer] : The Armed Man :: Benedictus

Performers: Laura Wright (Voice); Steven Baker (Programming)
Conductor: Richard Hein
Running Time: 5 min. 27 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Written: 1999

Lawson, Geoff : Boléro, for soprano, tenor, chorus & orchestra (after Ravel) (a.k.a. "Llama de Amor Viva", "Flame of

Performers: Geoff Lawson (Keyboards); Laura Wright (Voice); Geoff Lawson (Programming); Noah Stewart
Running Time: 2 min. 57 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Vocal

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