Notes and Editorial Reviews
A musically and emotionally satisfying seasonal feast.
I have listened to and reviewed with great pleasure reissues on the Helios label of two recordings made in the late 1980s of the Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral singing the Evening Canticles. This much later recording is, if anything, even better and more welcome. The choir seems to have even more confidence, the recording skilfully manages to overcome the inherent problems of recording in the Cathedral without losing the sense of the distinct acoustic of the building. The choice of music is more varied, being no longer restricted to settings of the same texts. The choice is indeed very well made, avoiding the most obvious pieces related to Epiphany - apart
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from Cornelius’
The Three Kings, in the arrangement by Sir Ivor Atkins, but sounding more convincing than usual. The highlights include Wesley’s wonderful
Ascribe unto the Lord, a much larger scale structure than is usual for Anglican anthems, but supremely well constructed, exciting and moving. At the other extreme are Holst’s tiny but concentrated
Nunc dimittis and Crotch’s naïve and even ebullient
Lo! Star-led chiefs, both always welcome, especially when performed as well as they are here.
The works are arranged in an order which makes for very satisfying listening. Even the three Hymns included do not outstay their welcome but make a suitable contrast with the more concentrated works in the rest of the programme. There are good notes by William McVicker, full texts and, where necessary, translations.
I usually find that listening to Christmas discs is an infallible way to make me feel Scrooge-like and resistant to apparent enforced
bonhomie. This is a glorious exception to that rule; a musically and emotionally satisfying seasonal feast. Reissued at a bargain price it would surely be an ideal Christmas gift - if you could bear to give it away.
-- John Sheppard, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording
1.
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning by Alwyn Surplice
Performer:
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: United Kingdom
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: English
2.
Christus, Op. 97: When Jesus, our Lord by Felix Mendelssohn
Performer:
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ),
Roy Rashbrook (Tenor),
Robert Rice (Bass),
Timothy Jones (Baritone)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Romantic
Written: 1847; Germany
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 6 Minutes 53 Secs.
Language: English
3.
Psalmes, Songs and Sonnets...fit for Voyces or Viols: Praise our Lord, all ye Gentiles by William Byrd
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1611; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 12 Secs.
Language: English
4.
Lully, lulla, thow littel tyne child "Coventry Carol" by Traditional
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 2 Minutes 43 Secs.
Language: English
5.
Omnes de Saba Venient by Jacob Handl
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 2 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: Latin
6.
Tribus miraculis by Luca Marenzio
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1585; Italy
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 2 Minutes 57 Secs.
Language: Latin
7.
Epiphany by Judith Bingham
Performer:
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1995; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 4 Minutes 15 Secs.
Language: English
8.
Palestine: Lo! star-led chiefs by William Crotch
Performer:
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Romantic
Written: 1805-1811; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 5 Minutes 20 Secs.
Language: English
9.
Ascribe unto the Lord by Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Performer:
Julian Clarkson (Bass),
Jon English (Tenor),
Roy Rashbrook (Tenor),
Christopher Royall (Countertenor),
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Romantic
Written: circa 1852; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 14 Minutes 54 Secs.
Language: English
10.
Carol-Anthems (3) for Chorus: no 1, Here is the little door by Herbert Howells
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1918-1920; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 49 Secs.
Language: English
11.
Maria wallt zum heiligtum by Johannes Eccard
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: Germany
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 37 Secs.
Language: English
12.
The growing limbs of God the Son "St. Chad" by Christopher Dearnley
Performer:
Robert Rice (Baritone)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: English
13.
Gradualia, Volume 2: Senex puerum portabat a 4 by William Byrd
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1607; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
Language: Latin
14.
Nunc dimittis, H 127 by Gustav Holst
Performer:
Mervyn Collins (Tenor),
Flann Corcoran (Treble)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1915; England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 36 Secs.
Language: Latin
15.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness by Anonymous
Performer:
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Written: by 1754
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 9 Secs.
Language: English
16.
Weihnachtslieder (6), Op. 8: no 3, Die Könige by Peter Cornelius
Performer:
Jonathan Arnold (Baritone)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Romantic
Written: 1856/1870; Weimar, Germany
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 2 Minutes 41 Secs.
Language: English
17.
From the rising of the sun by Ouseley, F.A. Gore, Sir
Performer:
Huw Tregelles Williams (Organ)
Conductor:
John Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir
Period: Romantic
Written: England
Date of Recording: 02/2001
Venue: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Length: 2 Minutes 34 Secs.
Language: English
Featured Sound Samples
From the rising of the sun (Ouseley)
Maria wallt zum Heiligtum (Eccard)
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