Down By The Salley Gardens CD

 Great artist, pleasant collection
Benjamin Luxon is one of my favorite baritones, both for the beauty of his voice and for his amazing versatility. Luxon shows the sensitivity of a great concert recitalist on this disc. His ability to scale down his powerful operatic sound to sing simple English, Irish and Scottish folk songs with piano accompaniment is remarkable. He knows exactly how much voice to give to each of these pieces without overpowering them. There are a number of fine arrangements by renowned composers on this recording, and they are well served by Luxon's masterful interpretations. Although I found the first and middle sections of the disc more musically interesting than the latter section, Luxon never seems to make a misstep, as his innate musicality and joy of singing make up for sometimes unattractive arrangements. Most of these songs were recorded either just before, or during, the period when he began to experience increasing deafness which eventually,and sadly, ended his singing career. Occasionally one will hear a note veer slightly north of the pitch, as if he were trying to compensate for what he could no longer hear. This makes me appreciate his accomplishments even more; here was a great artist providing a program of beautiful and affecting music, at the same time being painfully aware of a diminishing ability to deliver his best work.
Submitted by robram60 (pacific grove, ca) 
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 The Real Soul Music
Over twenty-five years ago, Benjamin Luxon stood on a stage with two other gentlemen to create music for PBS. It is Luxon I remember. I arrived home from work thinking I would just turn on the TV for background while preparing dinner. From that black box in a dark room the majestic and haunting voice of Benjamin Luxon filled my soul. I slowly put down my purse and sat cross-legged on the floor, the room still dark. Within minutes, I felt the warm tingle of tears on my cheeks...the voice had driven from me every stress and filled me with a memory that will be cherished forever. During the next decade, I periodically looked for recordings by Benjamin Luxon but, alas, a beautifully trained and natural talent such as his doesn't fill the front pockets of the store's music section. Now he is sitting with me in my living room, his unforgettable voice streaming from my laptop as though I'm back on the floor of my dark home over two decades ago. Without needing to confirm the obvious, there simply is no finer talent than Benjamin Luxon. Truly a joy to hear and truly a gift to find.
Submitted by vivweinkauf (Seattle, Washington)
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