DISCUSSION: John Dante Prevedini leads a discussion about Music and the Visual World, including contributions from Celia Craig, Halida Dinova and Yekaterina Lebedeva.
PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS:
The late Patric Standford may have written these short pieces deliberately to provoke our feedback. If so, his success is reflected in the rich range of readers' comments appearing at the foot of most of the pages.
Orchestral Anthems
DCD34291 (Delphian Records, CD)
DDD
24-bit stereo
FIRST RELEASE (23 June 2023)
Playing time: 55'08"
Tracks: 9
Booklet pages: 24
℗ 2023 Delphian Records Ltd
© 2023 Delphian Records Ltd
Main country of recording: United Kingdom
Country of manufacture: European Union
Reviewer: Gerald Fenech
Review of Orchestral Anthems published on 6 July 2023
Áine Smith, soprano (tracks 1 and 8)
Ruairi Bowen, tenor (tracks 6 and 8)
William Thomas, bass (tracks 1 and 8)
Girl Choristers of Merton College, Oxford (tracks 3 and 4)
Choir of Merton College, Oxford
Britten Sinfonia
Benjamin Nicholas, conductor
Edward Bairstow (1874-1946):
1 Blessed city, heavenly Salem
Edward Elgar (1857-1934):
2 Ecce sacerdos magnus
George Dyson (1883-1964) orchestrated by Douglas Hopkins (1902–1992):
Evening Service in D (first recordings in this orchestral arrangement)
3 Magnificat
4 Nunc dimittis
Herbert Howells (1892-1983):
5 Behold, O God our defender
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) orchestrated by Edward Elgar:
6 Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) orchestrated by Arnold Foster (c1898-1963):
7 Te Deum in G
Gerald Finzi (1901-1956):
8 Lo, the full, final sacrifice
Edward Elgar:
9 The Spirit of the Lord
For the Choir of Merton College, Oxford's first collaboration with Britten Sinfonia, Benjamin Nicholas has brought together a collection of sacred works from the first half of the twentieth century. A little-known fact is that these stalwarts of the English repertory were either originally intended to be heard with orchestra, or subsequently orchestrated by their composer or a close colleague. Written for enthronements, coronations and the nation's grandest choral festivals, these national 'standards' are here brought back to life in Delphian's largest recording to-date, their orchestral accompaniments affording them the richness, pomp and majesty associated with that epoch.
Recorded 1-2 July 2022 in All Hallows', Gospel Oak, London UK.