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Will TODD (b.1970) Christus Est Stella (2001) - Prayer of the Venerable Bede - SSAATTBB Ave Verum Corpus (2001) - Hail true body born of Mary - SATB/piano None Other Lamb (1998) - words by Christina Rossetti - SATBB The Windhover (2001) - words by Gerard Manley Hopkins - SATB and organ Lighting the Way (1999) words by composer - voices and piano Song of Simeon (1999) - SSSAATTBB Lead Me Lord (1997) - Psalm 5 - S - SATB, piano Carol: Every Stone Shall Cry (2001) - words by Richard Wilbur - SATB/piano Carol: The Christ-Child (1997) - words by G.K. Chesterton - SATB/piano Carol: The Virgin's Song (1995) - anon - SATB Carol: A Boy Was Born (1989) - 16th century German text - SATB Communion Service in E minor (1993) - SSAATTB/organ Full Score/Ralph Woodward Christopher Glynn (organ/piano) rec. 15 April 2002, All Saints' Church, Gospel Oak, London TYALGUM PRESS TYA001 [54.46]

Will Todd has an indefatigable gift of writing melodic music which speaks direct to today's audiences. At the same time he can trace a lineage back to Howells, Bax, Stanford and Byrd. Three years ago I reviewed a CD of his Saxophone Concerto and the suite from the opera Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Todd's music can be extremely impressive. I would place it in the UK scene in a strain similar to the music of Lionel Sainsbury, Ian Venables and the late Carey Blyton. In the case of the present CD he is found in the modest, yet highly active and exposed field of writing for choir. Christus Estella melds reflection and passion in a model in which harmony and the ecstatic ‘alleluias’ of Bax's masterpiece Mater Ora Filium are superbly combined. Similar, richly endowed works in this anthology are None other lamb, A Boy was Born, Song of Simeon and, with its opulently swaying Carver-like harmony, The Virgin's Song. Christus natus est has a rugged choral blaze while The Windhover (also set by Tippett) has both a chirping organ part and the dense grandeur of Vaughan Williams' Bunyan motet Mr Valiant for Truth. There are several tracks where Todd audaciously embraces simplicity - a parallel course to that of John Rutter though with personal results. Here there is no hiding place for workaday ideas; none of the camouflage of a complexity or expressive invention written for composers, critics and cliques. Ave Verum Corpus deploys a simple tune with piano; Lighting the way likewise. Every stone shall cry is also instantly appealing with its echoes of Horovitz's Noah and his floating Zoo and Malcolm Arnold's Song of Simeon. A touch of rumba rhythm will remind us of William Mathias's Dance Overture and the Malcolm Williamson opera Our Man In Havana as well as Alan Bush's grossly underrated The Sugar Reapers. Although Merryn Gamba's vibrato plays up throughout Lead me Lord this is another piece in which melodic invention rises triumphant. The Gloria too has a populist touch. In the sleepy Christ-child, the velvety piano strokes are a master-stroke (00.51); a little detail but one that really registers. Full Score is a choir, here comprising four singers for each register (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). Interesting to see Merryn Gamba's name among the sopranos. She may be familiar to those who snapped up Chandos's CD of the complete film music for Scott of the Antarctic. Hers was the solo vocalise in the BBCPO recording of that eerily beautiful score. Plenty of material here for choral conductors and listeners ready to be surprised by the seemingly endless resources of tonality and the human voice ... carpe diem. Rob Barnett Gerard Hoffnung CDs Advertising on Musicweb Donate and get a free CD New Releases   Musicweb sells the following labels Acte Préalable Arcodiva Avie British Music Soc. CDAccord Hallé Hortus Lyrita Nimbus Northern Flowers Redcliffe Sheva Tactus Talent Toccata Classics Follow us on Twitter Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter

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