02. Mozart: Finch' han dal vino from 'Don Giovanni, K.527' [1'40]
03. Gounod: Vous qui faites l'endormie. Serenade from 'Faust' [2'42]
04. - 08. Copland: Old American Songs. First Set [10'46]
09. Prokofiev: Ballroom Waltz and Midnight from 'Cinderella, op.87' [5'06]
10. - 12. Trad. (arr Carl Davis): Three Spirituals [9'00]
13. Gershwin (arr Robert Russell Bennett): Gershwin in Hollywood [11'14]
14. Rodgers & Hammerstein: Some Enchanted Evening from 'South Pacific' [3'37]
15. Gershwin: I got Plenty O' Nuttin' from 'Porgy & Bess' [2'51]
16. Kern: Ol' Man River from 'Show Boat' [3'42]
17. (arr Thorpe Davie): Encore. Auld Lang Syne [3'01]
Willard White- bass-baritone, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Carl Davis.
RLPO Live RLCD201 (recorded 31 December 1998; this CD release 1999)
(CD rip; flacs, cover, booklet and inlay scans)
Recording venue: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Recording engineer: David A Pigott; Producer: Michael Ogonovsky
This curiously named and decided mixed-bag collection was recorded at a gala concert on New Year's Eve 1998 (not 1999) for the orchestra's low-profile own label. The track timings shown include the substantial applause retained in the recordings.
This was probably the label's best seller due to the presence of the super-star singer. Most other releases featured lesser-known artists and conductors and none seem to be included in the main tagging databases (including this issue).
As expected, Jamaica-born Willard White excels in the Copland Old American and the show songs and these have subsequently been recycled on the Alto/Regis label. He is also very fine in the operatic arias - particularly in the rôle of Porgy as he was in the Glyndebourne production with Simon Rattle.
American conductor and composer, Carl (not Colin as shown on an eBay listing) Davis, is very familiar with this repertoire and both he and the orchestra offer excellent support.
Download from MEGA.