It is hard to find a dud among the more than 50 years of recordings by the
King's Singers
, but this 2023 release, marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Walt Disney Studios, is among the more ambitious of the bunch. It didn't have to be; the match of the
Singers
' pop inflections with
Disney
material was perfect to begin with, but there is more. The group commissions fresh arrangements from a variety of composers, several of them quite well-known (
John Rutter
makes an appearance), and they offer fresh angles on familiar songs. Try the rather ruminative
Bare Necessities
. Moreover, the
line up world-class guest stars, including mezzo-soprano
Joyce DiDonato
and trumpeter
Lucienne Renaudin Vary
, and these get into the spirit of the recording. Best of all, the album succeeds satisfyingly in its aim of paying tribute to the music of
. The songs date back to
Someday My Prince Will Come
, from 1937's
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
, but most are quite contemporary, and they show the remarkably unified thread that runs through the studio's musical productions. This thread is one that rock (
Phil Collins
, in
On My Way
) and country (
Roger Miller
, in the delightful "Not in Nottingham") songwriters have adapted themselves to. In short, this is a
release that is splendidly listenable from start to finish. ~ James Manheim