Another of the recent SACDs employing Kimber Kable’s proprietary IsoMike special microphone baffles, this is an a capella quintet of male voices in a collection of inspirational songs plus a lovely arrangement of the American folk classic Shenandoah and a rousing conclusion of The Star-Spangled Banner.
The five vocalists are excellent and the presentation is well done if this is the sort of liturgical music you appreciate, although the disc’s length is extremely short. What is the major attraction for audiophiles however is the striking realism and presence of the vocal sounds. This is due both to the special baffles used in the process, which are something like the baffles from Jecklin of Switzerland, and also to the high standards of the purist recording technique – going direct to DSD with no limiting, mixing, compression and so forth. The near-astounding presence of the singers hit me like the Chesky SACD of the Persuasions doing the a capella Beatles tunes.
Tracks: Because I have Been Given Much, Precious Lord Take My Hand, Jesus The Very Thought of Thee, Once in Royal David’s City, I Need Thee Every Hour, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, Shenandoah, The Star-Spangled Banner
– John Sunier
