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DDD Total time = 56.08 - Recorded at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London 1997 Programme Notes:The Royal Hospital, Chelsea was founded by King Charles II as a retreat for old or disabled soldiers and opened in 1692 by William and Mary. It is still fulfilling its original purpose, as a home for the famous 'Chelsea Pensioners'. The Hospital has always employed a resident organist, the most famous of whom was Dr Charles Burney, and the professional choir now provide music for the main Sunday services and many other regular events. The concept of Remembrance is important in any establishment with a military tradition, and particularly in the case of the Royal Hospital, many of whose In-Pensioners have lost comrades during active service. The music on this recording traces that concept in a variety of ways and follows it with the optimism and triumph of Resurrection, the reward of those "who endured in the heat of the conflict". Holy is the true light was composed by Sir William Harris KCVO, who was the Organist of St George's Chapel, Windsor from 1933 until 1961. This short anthem is less substantial than Faire is the heaven or Bring us, O Lord God, but it possesses the same dramatic and evocative qualities and demonstrates the composer's musical sensitivity to these fine words. For the fallen by Douglas Guest brings Great Britain's annual Act of Remembrance to life, setting Lawrence Binyon's famous and powerful text in a simple but reverential way. John Ireland lived near the Royal Hospital for much of his life and was the Organist of St Luke's Parish Church, Chelsea from 1904 until 1926. He is remembered mostly for his piano music, chamber music and songs but his most significant contribution to the church music repertoire is Greater Love, which presents the biblical words about sacrifice in a dramatic and personal context. Ralph Vaughan Williams's motet Valiant-for-Truth, composed in 1940, gives impetus to the programme because it tells a story and brings the personal element more sharply into focus. Mr Valiant-for-Truth's motives are the embodiment of Remembrance and Resurrection: "I have fought his battles, who now will be my rewarder". The hymn O valiant hearts (The supreme sacrifice) is always sung on Remembrance Sunday at the Royal Hospital. The combination of the words' vivid imagery and the sturdiness of the tune have contributed significantly to its popularity over the years. The last verse is presented in an adapted brass arrangement, composed for a television broadcast of Songs of Praise in 1988. In 1939 Benjamin Britten composed A.M.D.G. (Ad majorem Dei gloriam), the Latin motto of the order of Jesuits, of which Gerard Manley Hopkins was a member. It is a collection of seven poem settings, of which Heaven-Haven is the last. It is a straightforward setting which perfectly matches the serenity of Hopkins's well known poem. Gabriel Fauré's Requiem was originally composed in 1877, though subsequent versions appeared in 1890 and 1900. The composer did not set all the movements of the liturgical Requiem Mass, omitting those describing the more punitive aspects of the afterlife. In Paradisum is, however, the traditional final movement which promises eternal rest to the soul of the departed. Hubert Parry's unaccompanied Songs of Farewell were composed, at the end of his life, during the First World War. Parry had enjoyed early success as a composer of choral cantatas and incidental music (I was glad was written for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902). My soul, there is a country is probably the best known of the Songs of Farewell and shows strong affinity with the text, together with an opulence and grandeur which characterised the age. The souls of the righteous by James Nares treats the same theme as Parry but this time with a biblical text and in the form of an eighteenth century verse anthem, in which two soprano soloists begin by weaving intricate contrapuntal lines over a simple organ accompaniment. Further variety is achieved with a short solo movement, a recitative and concluding chorus. Nares held appointments as organist of York Minster and at the Chapel Royal and was one of the first composers to give singers specific advice on performance. Thus this work, composed in 1734, contains charming directions such as "a trifle faster" and "succeed..in gentle advances to the Allegretto". Elizabeth Poston's musical career was unusually varied. In addition to her activities as a composer she was a collector of folk songs and a member of the BBC music staff. For a time she lived in the house which was the scene of E M Forster's novel Howard's End and composed the music for the eponymous film score in 1970. Her arrangement of Jesus Christ the apple tree was written for the Cambridge Hymnal in 1967 and is notable for its simplicity and elegance. Brahms's setting of the Requiem was in German and, like that of Fauré, emphasises the hope of resurrection rather than the fear of divine punishment. The texts of its seven movements were chosen from the bible by Brahms himself and the fourth movement, How lovely are thy dwellings fair, is a setting of part of Psalm 84. He worked on the piece for a long time (1857-1868), during which he must have been influenced by his study of choral music by Handel and earlier German renaissance composers. However all the Brahms thumbprints are present: in particular his rich and expansive scoring of the accompaniment (even when reduced to the relatively monochrome textures of the organ) and fondness for cross rhythms. Charles Stanford's setting of the Te Deum in B flat was composed in 1879 as part of a complete set of Morning, Communion and Evening Canticles. Though conservative by today's standards, these settings show contemporary structural features such as those found in the works of Liszt, Wagner and Brahms. By means of his musical studies in Germany during the 1870s Stanford had broken down some of the insularity of English Church Music, an advantage it had not enjoyed since the time of Purcell. This grand and effective setting expresses praise in the eternal hope of resurrection. Achieved is the glorious work concludes the second part of Haydn's oratorio The Creation, composed in 1796-98 following his visit to London, during which, incidentally, he was a frequent visitor to Dr Burney at the Royal Hospital. Its purpose within the oratorio and in the context of this recording is to provide a point of focus and climax. Programme notes© Ian Curror 1997 The Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea on this recordingSopranos: Sally Barber, Caroline Cox, Olivia Maffett, Julia Raeburn, Katharine Verney. Page revised Friday May 25 2007 |
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