Soundtrack Information

Ancient & Modern

Ancient & Modern

Re-issue

Angel (7243 5 56868 2 4)

Year Released: 1995 / 1999

Conducted by Anne Dudley

Format: CD

Music By

Track Listing

1. Canticles Of The Sun And Moon
[previewing track]
 5:40
2. Veni Sancte Spiritus
[previewing track]
 4:19
3. From Darkness To Light
[previewing track]
 4:47
4. Veni Emmanuel
[previewing track]
 5:05
5. Tallis' Canon
[previewing track]
 6:59
6. The Holly And The Ivy
[previewing track]
 5:08
7. The Testimony Of John
[previewing track]
 5:10
8. Canzonetta
[previewing track]
 2:11
9. Coventry Carol
[previewing track]
 4:40
10. Prelude
[previewing track]
 2:41
11. Three Chorales In Common Time - Three Strings
[previewing track]
 2:56
12. Three Chorales In Common Time - Eight Woodwind
[previewing track]
 4:16
13. Three Chorales In Common Time - Sixteen Voices
[previewing track]
 7:04
  Total Album Time: 60:56

Review: Ancient And Modern

by David A. Koran January 27, 2000
4 / 5 Stars
Without rehashing a typical biography of a composer, to understand Anne Dudley and her diversity, you need to know where she came from and what she does today. Known for her work with the avant-garde musical group The Art of Noise, Anne only recently caught the composing bug after her initial stint with that group came to an end. Besides composing for film and winning an Oscar for her work on The Full Monty (who would have guessed?), Anne took on several side projects, one of which is presented here in a reissue from Angel Records, Ancient and Modern. As the rear liner notes from Ms. Dudley state, these are new works derived from older melodies, a true gothic source of chorales and hymns, great for something to listen to get to sleep.

This is one of the most relaxing pieces of music I’ve heard in years, as mentioned earlier, a slight departure from most of Dudley’s recent work. Reaching back in time, albeit not as far back, for inspiration for an album is not uncommon for Ms. Dudley, as heard on the reunion album for the Art Of Noise’s The Seduction Of Claude Debussy. Dudley doesn’t modernize for Ancient and Modern as much as she did for The Seduction Of Claude Debussy, and keeps more to the spirit of the original sources. Tackling the music, Ms. Dudley employs an 18 voice strong choir and a 50 piece period orchestra, filling out the music but not overpowering it. I really have to say that the CD is great, albeit makes me feel like I’m in church, but the soothing qualities that are inherent in the melodies are usually missing from most modern music for various reasons. Most music sources categorize this work as "classical crossover" but I don’t see it in the same category as other crossovers such as Claude Bolling and Phillip Glass because of Dudley’s closer tie the traditional arrangements and orchestrations.

I can see that doing a project like this good practice for composers, allowing them to really learn the music and get "in the heads" of the masters such as Bach. Many film composers such as John Williams, Elliot Goldenthal, and Jerry Goldsmith have had some success with doing pieces out of their usual realm of straight film scoring, and I believe it helps keep them fresh. I highly recommend the album for the content and music but also because it’s a break in style from most of Anne Dudley’s film and pop work and its plain listenability.

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