Kevin Sutton wrote:
>
>Jonathan Knapp wrote of "A feather on the breath of God" by Gothic Voices:
>
>>This recording is probably the finest available of Bingen's music, and of
>>the genre.  The solo work by Emma Kirkby makes it even more attractive.
>>It should be in everyone's collection.
>
>I think that to say that Gothic Voices' recording of "Feather" is the
>very finest Hildegard is a little too strong.  Whereas this is a fine
>record (although when it comes to early music vocal talents, I much prefer
>Montserrat Figuras to Ms.  Kirkby, I think one would be remiss if one
>didn't avail oneself (drat, what a load of pompous third personage that
>was!) to the Sequentia Hildegard recordings with the late Barbara Thorton
>as sing-ist!  These are fabulous performances!

I'll be of the maudlin, fence-sittin' type and say maybe both are correct,
keeping in mind that the Gothic Voices' "Feather" recording is something
like 16 years old now (relatively long in tooth as far as modern CDs of
the medieval repertoire go), and the latest Sequentia disks quite recent.
I have both "Feather" and several of the Sequentias, and enjoy them all.
One hopes that with Barbara Thornton's tragically early exit from the
stage, Sequentia will continue on with their wonderful work.

Bill H.