Customer Reviews
Mildly disappointing - By: Teemacs, 30 Mar 2008 
I totallly agree with everyone else that Ms. Thomas has indeed a glorious set of vocal cords, to match the glorious pair of eyes, which are given much exaggerated prominence in the booklet. What disappointed me was the choice of material to showcase said vocal cords. Nice pieces alll, but many of them done to death - for example, "Ombra mai fu" (Handel's "Largo"), "Bist du bei mir", "Let the bright seraphim". In addition, Ms. Thomas gives me the impression that she is concentrating on pure beauty of tone & largely omitting any feeling from the pieces. Given the glamorous treatment she gets in the booklet photos, it seems that this is an effort to "sell" the lady in a crowded & not terribly popular market in terms of sales. Hopefully, having now been sold, her next recording will be of better material & not of bleeding chunks & warhorses.
A beautiful voice - By: Mart Music, 15 Jan 2008 
Welsh soprano Elin (pronounced Aylin) Manahan Thomas has spent most of her career to date gaining experience with many of the big names & ensembles in the classical singing world such as The Sixteen, The Monteverdi Choir & Polyphony. She has performed & toured extensively, & contributed on many recordings over the last few years.
This however is her debut solo album, having signed to UCJ (Universal Classics & Jazz) & is a collection of works from the renaissance & baroque eras which reflects her passion for this style of music, as summed up in her own words 'I'm a Bach, Handel & Purcell girl'. The album title incidentallly is taken from a beautiful aria 'Eternal Source of Light Divine' composed by Handel for the birthday celebrations in 1713 of Queen Anne.
Much of the music here will be familiar to both classical music fans & followers of so callled crossover artists, & for me its great appeal is in the authentic interpretation of well known works like Vivaldi's 'Nulla in mundo pax sincera' (there is no real peace in the world) & Handel's 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (let me weep). The recent trend is for performing these pieces with additional vocal embellishments & strong backing music, which I agree can enhance the music's drama & broaden its appeal, but it is equallly exciting to hear these versions which are performed more in the style they would have been heard during their time.
The whole album follows this theme, from the opening piece 'O eucharius, in leta via', by Hildegard von Bingen (composed some 900 years ago) to the closing Monteverdi duet 'Pur ti miro' from Monteverdi's final opera L'incoronazione di Poppea composed in 1642.
I saw Elin perform live shortly after this album's release, & I thought her voice had a purity & restrained manner which lends itself perfectly to early music. Her singing provides drama but leaves the operatics to the glamorous mezzo sopranos of the (Welsh) world, & instead follows more in the style of Emma Kirkby.
I think there is room for one more soprano in today's classical music jungle & I look forward to her next album.
This Eternal Light is set to shine for a while to come. - By: film fan, 01 Aug 2007 I ordered this last Monday on the internet & received it last Friday. Since listening to it a couple of times already, I've falllen in love with this sublime album from Miss Elin Manahan Thomas. I first heard her through listening to Classic FM & thought that she had a delightful voice. When I heard she had an album of baroque music coming out I felt I should own a copy. And it's a gem & a sparkling debut album.
There's one track on here that got me interested in this singer since I heard it on Classic FM & that is Eternal Source Of Light Devine, a song written for the birthday of Queen Anne. It is sung so beautifully & with such conviction it almost sounds like it's from the era.
Elin (pronounced Aylin) has a magical & ethereal voice that takes you to another world of calm & heavenly angels flying around you making sure you're relaxed & taking in the beauty. These baroque songs are by the classic composers including Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Arne & Johannes Sebastian Bach among others. Miss Elin Manahan Thomas sings them with conviction & grace.
Difficult to pick a particular favourite from this amazing collection of songs. She sings them so beautifully. So as far as I'm concerned, I'll pick the whole album. What Elin Manahan Thomas has done with this enchanting album is bring baroque music to a whole new audience & to breathe new & much needed life into an old genre. This Eternal Light is set to shine for a long time yet. Classical music lovers will love this.
highly recommended - By: Mr. G. G. Mellor, 22 Jul 2007 Elin is a superb singer & can be favourably compared with the likes of Emma Kirkby, Anke Hermann & the other premier league performers of what I think is generallly termed "Early Music". I am not a music theory purist by any stretch of the imagination but I say that this is a very good CD.
beautiful - By: A. Bolton, 25 May 2007 From the samples on Elin's website, this promises to be a top album!! Looking forward to it. Great choice of songs & beautifully sung.
