CMQ, December 2006
Lincoln Cathedral
Choir/Charles Harrison (organ & direction)I Aric Prentice (direction)
If Dan Brown's novel
The Da Vinci Code has ruffled feathers in some quarters of the Church, it
seems also to have inspired a new interest in Mary Magdalene, one of the most
popular saints in the middle ages. Belinda Sykes's vocal and instrumental
ensemble Jolgaresa has produced a very attractive disc of eleventh to
fourteenth-century music dedicated to this particular Mary. The lissom
performances make medieval music accessible in a way that many will enjoy.
The Lady Chapel Singers'
disc is part of The Women's Sacred Music Project, Inc. and`explore[s) salvation
history through the eyes of women'. The repertoire is broad: from eighth-century
chant to the contemporary, and includes a piece by that fine baroque composer
Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. A number of African-American spirituals are also
included. Although the quality of both the performances and the compositions
themselves is variable, one senses that, by virtue of its theme, this disc finds
its audience.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
is the patron saint of Lincoln Cathedral, so it is fitting that the Lincoln
Cathedral Choir's new disc should be of music composed in honour of her. This is
the first CD an which the boy and girl choristers are heard singing together.
The result is a richly toned treble line, ably supported by the thirteen
Gentlemen. The programme ranges from plainsong to contemporary pieces. An
eight-part setting of the Magnificat by Praetorius sounds very fine in the
cathedral's generous acoustic. The ravishing First movement of Pergolesi's
Stabat Mater is a welcome inclusion, although the organ accompaniment sounds
surprisingly stark and unsympathetic. Works by Saint-Saens, Grieg, Bruckner and
Duruflé are also included. The contemporary pieces are Tavener's popular Hymn
to the Mother of God and the Magnificat: Collegium Regale, Andrew
Carter's Mary's Magnificat (an expressive work that is a portrait of the
BVM, rather than a fall setting of the Magnificat text), and Wayne Marshall's
Magnificat in C (a sugary affair for upper voices and organ). Some organ Solos
provide opportunities to hear the magnificent Lincoln Willis; and it is an organ
piece, Flor Peeters's glorious Toccata, Fugue et Hymne sur Ave Marin Stella
that brings the disc to a majestic conclusion.
American
Record Guide, May/June 2006
Hail Mary
Charles Harrison, org;
Lincoln Cathedral Choir/ Aric Prentice & Charles Harrison
Regina Coeli
Corpus Christi College
Choir/ Daniel Soper & Rebecca Drake-Lammas 188-67 minutes
The titles leave no
doubt as to what these two releases are all about, and there are countless
albums of this kind out there. Here we get to compare the fine work of both the
boy- and girltreble choirs of Lincoln Cathedral to the appealing efforts of a
mixed ensemble from Cambridge. Each is recorded in its home church.
Lincoln Cathedral has
valid reason to celebrate the Virgin, having been consecrated to that purpose in
the late 11th Century. There has been a choir of men and boys at Lincoln for
nearly a millennium (the girls were added in recent years), and sacred Marian
repertoire has ever been their main fare. Such mind-boggling tradition shows, in
selections ranging from plainchant to living composers. High points include a
stirring, chant-laced eightpart Magnificat from Praetorius and a particularly
ethereal rendition of Bruckner's 'Ave Maria'. Pleasant discoveries include
Grieg’s 'Ave Maris Stella' setting and Saint-Saens's 'Ave Maria'.
I was a bit puzzled by
the sound of the trebles until I read in the notes that this is their first
recording where both boy and girl choristers join the men. Bravo to the Lincoln
program-why shouldn't girls get their slice of the English child-treble
tradition and the same quality of musical training that has always been
available to any English lad with a sweet voice? All the more seasoned singers
to further enhance England's profusion of world-class choirs. It's no great
matter musically, as their soaring sonorities are a treat-though seasoned
listeners will know that they're not hearing boys.
The Corpus Christi Choir
of Cambridge is no slouch where tradition is concerned, either: their college
was founded in 1352. It has lately evolved into of those all-student ensembles,
to include their directors. Mr Soper and Ms Drake perform here as Organ
Scholars: undergraduate students of particular merit, in training to be
tomorrow's organist-choirmasters in the timeless Anglican tradition. Both give
evidence of their talent here, in a pleasing array of Marian music that includes
several selections heard above (Grieg, Bruckner). But their program-despite the
inclusion of treasures from early composers like Gesualdo and Johannes Eccard
(1553-1661)-tends to favor more recent composers like Britten, Stravinsky,
Gorecki, and William Harris. Particular attention is paid to the accomplished
music of Andrew March (b 1973), who is represented by six pieces.
This is a very good
choir, offering solid technique, pleasing sound, and youthful spiri-tual
intensity-though they lack the smooth polish and refinement of some of their
better-known English counterparts.
Both releases are worth
having, but I must give the nod to the Lincoln effort: it is more in keeping
with the traditional English sound and spirit, even with the girl choristers-and
I found their program more appealing. The cathedral's ravishing acoustics add a
point in their favor, too. Each album offers a complete booklet and excellent
recording quality.
KOOB
International Record
Review, November 2005,
full price,
1
hour
4
minutes
Hail Mary
New
Anonymous
Virgo prudentissima.
Hodie Maria Virgo (two versions of each). There is no rose of such virtue.
Bruckner
Ave Maria.
A. Carter
Mary's Magnificat.
Durufle
Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Grieg
Ave Maris Stella. Langhis
Triptique Gregorien
Rosa mystica. Marshall
Magnificat in C. Peeters Toccata, Fugue et Hymne sur Ave Maris
Stella, Op. 28. Pergolesi
Stabat mater.
Pettman The Angel
Gabriel. Praetorius
Magnificat à 8. Saint-Saens Ave Maria.
Tavener
Hymn to the Mother of
God. Magnificat:
Collegium Regale.
Lincoln Cathedral Choir/Aric
Prentice with
Charles Harrison (organ).
Guild GMCD7291
English/Latin texts and English translations included. Website
www.guildmusic.com.
Producer/Engineer
Michael Ponder.
Dates
January 31 st-February
3rd, 2005.
Lincoln Cathedral is
dedicated to St Mary, so it is entirely appropriate that its choir should have
devoted this disc to music composed in her honour; and there's certainly plenty
from which to choose. Lincoln's highly gifted Director of Music, Aric Prentice,
has chosen well, selecting a good range of music and styles, stretching from
Medieval chants to a jolly piece of pseudo-American light music by Wayne
Marshall, and inspiring his choir to perform them with great verve and aplomb.
The recorded sound here
is sumptuous and the Cathedral's ample acoustic, nicely caught in Michael
Ponder's sympathetic recording, generously enhances the choir's sound. But, like
so many English cathedral and collegiate choirs, the rare and attention lavished
an the treble line (here it is sung by both boys and girls) can result in a very
top-heavy sound. The Lincoln men are superb, with a nice balance between musical
maturity and vocal freshness, but there are only 13 of them against some 34
trebles, and while it isn't always clear whether all the trebles are singing at
any one time, the balance is an a knife-edge at the best of times. Occasionally
it tips over the edge, and one feels that the trebles are trying just too hard;
there is a sense of competition between them which, after a while, becomes as
exhausting an the ear as it clearly is an the voice. Praetorius's
Magnificat à
8 at one point descends
into near-chaos as the top voices race to see who can descend through the scale
the quickest and the loudest, but elsewhere the problem is exposed in a forced,
overwhelming treble sound which, as in the Bruckner motet, lends a snse of
tension and stress which undermines the fundamental calmness of the music. When
they relax, however, the Lincoln choristers produce a lovely sound. Their
account of Griegs ravishing
Ave Maris Stella
is unbelievably
beautiful, while the intense excitement they bring to Tavener's
Magn f cat
is little short of
spellbinding.
I'm not sure that the
two Marian organ solos - by Langlais and Flor Peeters - are the most suitable or
the most worthwhile examples around, but they are played authoritatively by
Charles Harrison, who also provides neat organ accompaniments for some of the
anthems an what is, at heart, a disc of wonderful music, performed with great
sensitivity and captured in quite magical sound.
Marc Rochester
Choir &
Organ – Jan./Feb. 2006
CHORAL
HAIL MARY
Lincoln
Cathedral Choir / Aric Prentice (dir), Charles Harrison
(dir & org)
Guild GMCD 7291 62’59”
êêêêê
The girl and boy choristers of
Lincoln Cathedral join forces with the men in music in praise of the Mother of
God. This is the first Choral CD from the cathedral in
nix years and if this is anything to go by 1
can't wait for the next. The music spans the centuries from plainchant to
Tavener, Carter and Wayne Marshall, with many intervening stops
along the way. The two Sets of young choristers have a very different
tone and it's fun to Spot who is singing what. It gives lie to the remark
that boys aren't good when there are girls around. The fervour of the
choir is remarkable and uplifting. In
keeping with the programme the two
Organ Works - given an exemplary
performance by Charles Harrison
- are by Langlais and Flor Peeters.
Die der Heiligen Jungfrau Maria gewidmete
Lincoln Cathedral ist eine der ältesten Diözesen in England. Die Gründung
erfolgte bereits im 11. Jahrhundert. Seit 900 Jahren existiert ein Chor, der in
jüngerer Zeit durch Mädchenstimmen angereichert wird. Der Lincoln Cathedral
Choir ist regelmäßig bei der BBC im Radio und im Fernsehen zu sehen. Trotzdem
ist es bereits sechs Jahre her, seit der Chor seine letzte Aufnahme gemacht hat.
Jetzt präsentiert Musikdirektor Aric Prentice ein Programm, das der
Schutzheiligen der Kathedrale gewidmet ist und zehn Jahrhunderte umfasst.
Große
Bandbreite
Es ist durchaus beeindruckend, mit welcher
Selbstverständlichkeit hier ein enorm umfangreiches Chorrepertoire vorgestellt
wird. Neben Bruckners wie mit britischem Understatement dargebotenen Motette ‚Ave
Maria’ erklingen gregorianischer Choräle in ebenso klarer Diktion wie Sir John
Taveners intrikate Satzstrukturen in ‚Hymn to the Mother of God’ oder dem ‚Magnificat
Collegium Regale’ oder das ‚Magnificat in C’ des 1961 geborenen Wayne Marshall.
Die Mischung von Knaben- und Mädchenstimmen erlaubt vor allem in der Höhe mehr
Flexibilität und vor allem eine durch mehr Volumen angereicherte Tonsicherheit.
Die wenigen, aber kraftvollen Alt-, Tenor- und Bassstimmen bilden keinen
herausstechenden Gegenpart, sondern ergänzen die Jungen und Mädchen in einem
angenehm homogenen Klangbild. Aric Prentice lässt große Sorgfalt bei der
Textverständlichkeit walten, ebenso bei der klaren Phrasierung. Dynamische
Staffelung mag an manchen Stellen vielleicht allzu stufig anmuten, ist aber den
räumlichen Gegebenheiten angepasst und fördert vielmehr die Artikulation und die
Durchhörbarkeit der Sätze. Alle Stimmen passen sich so ungemein organisch in den
Gesamtklang des Chores ein, dass Einzeltöne im und mit dem Raum zu schwingen
beginnen. Das ist schon große Chorkunst.
Charles Harrison bietet auf dem
‚Gebrauchsinstrument’ der Lincoln Cathedral, der 1898 gebauten Willis-Orgel
Werke von Jean Langlais und Flor Peeters: farbig registriert und mit nahezu
symphonischen Gestus, gewaltig, nicht gewalttätig.
Die Akustik der Lincoln Cathedral ist
klangtechnisch ganz bestechend ausbalanciert worden und das Booklet ist mit
eingehenden Anmerkungen zu den aufgenommenen Werken angereichert.
Beste englische Chortradition.
Music Web Thursday October 13 05
The UK's
cathedral choirs are surely musical jewels in the crown. ... Colin Clarke
Hail Mary
John TAVENER (b. 1944)
Hymn to the
Mother of God (1985) [2'31].
Magnificat (1986) –
Collegium Regale [7'12].
Hieronymous PRAETORIUS
(1560-1629)
Magnificat: Tone
V à 8 [8'04].
TRADITIONAL, arr.
Edgar PETTMANN (1866-1943)
The Angel
Gabriel [2'38].
Andrew CARTER (b. 1939)
Mary's Magnificat (1986) [3'22].
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921)
Ave Maria (1860)
[3'05].
Edvard GRIEG
(1843-1907)
Ave Maris
Stella, CW156/2 (1899) [3'39].
Giovanni Batista PERGOLESI (1710-1736)
Stabat Mater (1736) - Stabat Mater dolorosa [3'14].
Jean
LANGLAIS (1907-1991)
Triptique
grégorienne (1978) – Rosa mystica [4'30].
Wayne MARSHALL
(b. 1961)
Magnificat in
C [3'35].
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Ave Maria
[3'17].
Maurice DURUFLÉ (1902-1986)
Tota pulchra es, Maria, Op. 10 No. 2 (1960) [2'22].
ANONYMOUS
There is no
rose of such virtue [4'04].
Flor
PEETERS (1903-1986)
Toccata, Fugue
et Hymne sur Ave Maris Stella, Op. 28 (1931) [8'19].
Plainchant: Virgo
prudentissima [1'00 + 1'01]; Hodie Maria Virgo [0'33 + 0'33].
 Lincoln
Cathedral Choir/Aric Prentice, Charles Harrison (organ).
Rec. Lincoln Cathedral on January 31st, February 1st & 3rd,
2005. DDD
GUILD
GMCD7291 [64'22]
The UK's cathedral
choirs are surely musical jewels in the crown. It is a tradition that lives
strongly to this day, as can be clearly heard from, in this instance, Lincoln.
Not the greatest of our jewels, there is nevertheless a professionalism and
dedication here. The programme is nicely wide-ranging (the Wayne Marshall was a
surprise), with interspersed chants adding significantly to the atmosphere.
Lincoln Cathedral has
been dedicated to the Virgin Mary since the beginning of the eleventh century.
The present flowering of interest in the Mother of God (and the Mother of the
Church) perhaps reflects a broader trend towards the search for a Divine
Goddess, and one that would perhaps not contradict the more traditional
Christian readings. Good to see this flowering in musical form, therefore - this
is not to be confused with concurrent interest in Mary Magdalene, another aspect
of this resurgence of the feminine.
Lincoln Choir has a mix
of boy and girl choristers. Some may find this impure, but actually there is a
subtle alternation of sound. The choir as a whole does not have massive depth of
sound even though the acoustic – and Guild's recording thereof – is one that
adds body.
The Praetorius
Magnificat shows just how rhythmically on-the-ball Lincoln's choristers are.
'The Angel Gabriel', probably the most famous track, lilts in a way that makes
the cosy 'Mary's Magnificat' that follows the logical next step.
The Grieg piece was new
to me, and I am glad to make its acquaintance. Its affecting simplicity comes
from a composer not associated in my mind with liturgical music although there
are several rival versions of this piece available.
It is the Langlais that
brings with it hints at least of mysticism, its varied and interesting harmonies
leading to a rewarding listening experience. This is more than Wayne Marshall's
naïve Magnificat offers, with its saccharine-sweet, yukky end. It is left to
Bruckner, no less, to redirect the listener towards the sublime ('Ave Maria').
Here the care that evidently went into choral balance clearly paid off.
The trebles/girls do
very well with the ultra-high challenge of Tavener's 'Collegium Regale', while
the whole disc is 'led out' by Charles Harrison's simply superb account of Flor
Peeters' bright and imposing 'Toccata, Fugue et Hymne sur Ave Maris Stella'.
There is great depth to the recording.
Colin
Clarke
Page revised Friday November 24 2006
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