He may have been dubbed "the people's tenor", but Watson is at his best--and most comfortable--at the lighter end of the repertory. He sings the lilting "That's Amore" with charm and humour, a smooth performance which compares to Robbie Williams on Swing When You're Winning.

Nicholas Dodd's swooning orchestrations give Reprise a grandiose feel. Sadly, Watson's voice cannot match their intensity; his version of the famous duet from The Pearl Fishers (yes, he sings both parts) sounds strangled and his performance of "Core 'ngrato" is distinctly unmemorable.

Watson is credited as Reprise's producer. If he maintains that role on album number four, he should concentrate on the light songs and ballads, which he performs so well, in this instance not just "That's Amore" but also "...
Russell Watson, 3rd album (Reprise), 2008-08-03

Reprise, released in November 2002, is Russell Watson's third album and probably represents a more confident and self assured release than his previous `The Voice' and `Encore', thanks to his increasingly successful concert touring and life in the limelight.

But it was also a worrying time during which he suffered a throat polyp, threatening to end his singing career, which was thankfully removed without causing long term problems to his voice.

The songs are a mix of classical, opera and popular, with a distinctly more dramatic feel to those opera choices, the best example being the version of `Granada' which takes on epic proportions with the orchestral score and an individual vocal interpretation which, while straying from the conventional, certainly works.

Notable also are Ave Maria (Schubert's version) and a lovely performance of `The Pearl Fishers' duet (oddly no mention of who the duet was with, I suspect both voices are Russell Watson's!)

Bohemian Rhapsody is a bold choice let down by lame electronic backing, which is a shame for it represents one of Russell's best recorded examples of his talent for singing rock music. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash offered Watson the job of Velvet Revolver frontman, which he declined, but I'm sure he could handle `Sweet Child o' Mine'.

In fact, on the strength of this album's wide ranging style of music, he can probably make a good job of almost everything.

The disc opens with one of Rutter's best-known works, the timeless "For the beauty of the earth" and also includes his settings of Psalm 23 and "All things bright and beautiful"--popular with choirs and audiences alike--as well as two movements each from his Magnificat and Requiem. Most tracks are accompanied by the City of London Orchestra, breathing new life into works which are normally heard with piano accompaniment.

In his sleeve note, Rutter reminds us that he stood next to John Tavener in school choir; how extraordinary that these two boys would go on to have the international success that they have. And while Rutter will always have his detractors, one cannot help but admire the sense of joy and wonder encapsulated in each small but per...
Heaven on a Disk, 2008-09-28
The John Rutter Collection

Quite simply pure joy. This music is an experience that will inspire you, transport you and delight you. John Rutters arrangements are special and this particular collection is one treat after another. Buy the CD and you will appreciate all that lies within. I enjoyed it so much I bought two (in case one ever got damaged). Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

I wouldn't have put myself down as a huge fan of choral works, so it's either a sign of getting old or just that I have such fond memories of singing hymns at school [which, incidentally, I probably thought I hated at the time]; but I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck as I listened to songs I haven't heard for 30 years, such as He Who Would Valiant Be and When a Knight Won His Spurs.

I felt quite sad listening to this CD and realising that due to current education policy, my own children will never become familiar with hymns like these, which are often poetic and moving even if you don't have any strong religious affiliations.

I would recommend it not just to those who enjoy choir music [which admittedly wouldn't include a single one of my friends] but also to anyone over the age of 40 who hasn't sung a hymn for years but fancies a trip down memory lane to their old school assemblies.