Samuel Sebastian WESLEY
ANTHEMS
Let us lift up our heart
O God, whose name and property
Praise the Lord, O my soul
Introduction & Fugue in C# minor
Trust ye in the Lord
Andante in D major
Man that is born of woman
To my request and earnest cry
The Choir of York Minster/Philip
Moore
Recorded May 1999
Guild GMCD 7201
[68:03]
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Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-76) is one of the most intriguing figures in
nineteenth century English music. At an early age he made his mark in London,
as both organist and composer, but forsook the capital to become organist
at Hereford Cathedral in 1832. He seems to have been of a disputatious
temperament, and quarrels with deans and chapters arising from his outspoken
comments on the need for the reform of church music were to be a constant
feature of his career. He must hold some sort of record for the number of
major organ posts he occupied: Hereford was to be followed by Exeter (1835),
Leeds Parish Church (1841), Winchester (1849) and finally Gloucester (1865).
As an organist he was particularly renowned for his improvisations. As a
composer, his early promise was never quite fulfilled: his output was relatively
small and rarely ventured beyond the fields of church and organ music. Yet
on the evidence of this disc he stood head and shoulders above his
contemporaries. Unfortunately he was easily discouraged - in the 1850s he
gave up composing altogether - which is not surprising given that his music
seemingly did not find favour with the church authorities (the magnificent
anthem To My Request and Earnest Cry, here recorded for the first
time, was written while he was at Exeter: but it was probably never performed
in his lifetime).
He possessed an easy mastery of chromatic harmony, boldly deploying a notable
degree of dissonance. Another quality he displayed was a wonderful ability
to match music to the meaning of particular texts. Take Trust Ye in the
Lord (another anthem receiving its first recording): the words ' …
the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall give no wheat' are
clothed in music of gentle pathos; but the following 'Yet will I rejoice
in the Lord' is notable for the soaring, exultant treble line to which they
are entrusted.
The whole disc abounds with similar felicities - the exquisite dissonances
in the concise, moving Man that is Born of a Woman, written for the
Burial Sentences, the affecting simplicity of Lead Me Lord, the tremendous
fugue leading to the climax of To My Request and Earnest Cry, followed
by a coda of moving serenity. And the organ Introduction & Fugue in
C# minor is a splendidly structured affair.
I cannot recommend this disc too highly. The acoustic of York Minster is
a perfect setting for the music, and the choir is thoroughly on top of its
work: it fields splendid soloists, trebles Alastair Hewish and Matthew Ferguson
are particularly outstanding). Telling contributions come from Stephen Varcoe
(baritone) and John Scott Whiteley (organ); and Philip Moore is the authoritative
conductor. Peter Horton's sleeve notes are a model of their kind.
Adrian Smith
