Roy Ellefsen wrote:

>I have some money free to buy a few CD's and I would appreciate some
>recommendations.  I want the Vaughan Williams JOB.  I think I'll get either
>the Handley or the Bolt.  Any recommendations? Also, I have the Bernstein
>recording of Bloch's SACRED SERVICE.  Is there another on CD that equals
>it?

I've always liked Boult's Job on EMI.  I haven't heard the Everest in years
and don't know the Handley.  I'm told the one on Naxos is good, but someone
else is going to have to verify that.

As for the Bloch, there is or was one on Chandos, with the London Symphony
and Geoffrey Simon.  (Having said that, the only one I'm sure about is the
orchestra, but I think Chandos is right.) It was an LP, and I thought it
made it to CD for a while anyway.  I like it quite a bit, but it's not as
dramatic as Bernstein, and the baritone is not as good as Robert Merrill.
Some of the religious dialogue is in English, not Hebrew--probably not a
good choice, given the type of work and its atmosphere.  The real advantage
of this recording is the sound, which is a lot better than the Bernstein
and a real benefit in such a large scaled work.  I have both and listen to
both.  I think there may have been one by Abravanel, too, but I'm not sure
of this.

Roger Hecht