Adrian
BATTEN (1591-1637): O Sing
Joyfully [1’56"]
Psalm 114: Tonus Pelegrinus,
ed. Christopher Totney (b.1982) [2’17"]
Psalm 115: chant: Gerald Knight
(1908-1979) [4’29"]
Orlando GIBBONS
(1583-1625): The Short Service:
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis [5’39"]
Richard NICOLSON
(1563-1639): Cantate Domino [2’35"]
Thomas TALLIS
(c1505-1585): Hymn: Glory to Thee,
my God [2’42"]
Richard FARRANT
(c1530-1580) or John
HILTON (d. 1608): Lord, for
thy tender mercy’s sake [2’22"]
Psalm 126: chant: George Garrett
(1834-1897) [1’44"]
Psalm 127: chant: John Leman
Rogers (1780-1847) [2’11"]
Psalm 128: chant: Christopher
Totney [2’09"]
Psalm 129: chant: George Garrett
[2’12"]
Psalm 130: chant: William Ellis
[2’36"]
Psalm 131: chant Sir David Willcocks
(b. 1919) [1’43"]
Thomas CAUSTON
(c1520-1569): Evening Service for
four voices: Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
[6’58"]
Robert PARSONS
(c1568-1572): Ave Maria [4’45"]
Orlando GIBBONS:
Hymn: Love of the Father [3’11"]
Thomas TALLIS:
If ye love me [2’03"]
Psalm 142: chant: Joseph Barnby
(1838-1896) [2’50"]
Psalm 143: Chant: Martin Hurst
and Christopher Totney [4’28"]
Thomas TALLIS:
The Short Service (Dorian Mode):
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis [5’44"];
Loquebantur variis linguis [4’14"]
University College,
Durham, which is part of that city’s
university, is based in the historic
castle. Its Chapel Choir sings weekly
services in the Tunstall Chapel there
under the direction of a second year
music student (Christopher Totney at
the time that this recording was made.).
Tunstall Chapel, which has an organ,
was the venue for the recording of the
hymns and psalms. For the unaccompanied
items the singers moved to the castle’s
eleventh century Norman Chapel.
This CD contains the
music for three different evensongs
(settings of the preces and responses
are not included.) Though not specified
in the notes, I think I am right in
saying that the psalms that are sung
are those prescribed for the twenty-third,
twenty-seventh and twenty-ninth evenings
of the month. These psalms are generally
well paced and intelligently pointed.
I must say, however, that I thought
that the organ accompaniments were rather
plain and unimaginative. However, to
be fair to David Jackson this may well
be due to the limitations of the instrument
itself. No details of the organ are
given but it sounds to be a rather small
instrument and it may not have many
stops.
The choir consists
of six sopranos, four female altos and
four each of tenors and basses. All
are students and I think that the youth
of the singers is one of the main drawbacks
to this recording. The singers produce
a rather pale, "white" sound.
There is a lack of any real firmness
in the bass and the soprano sound is
often somewhat piping. The choir as
a whole lacks sufficient sonority and
sometimes it sounded to me as if intonation
on the top line in particular wavered
just a fraction (but enough to be noticeable.)
Mind you, I don’t think the singers
have been flattered by the acoustics
of either recording venue. To judge
by the booklet photographs both chapels
are small buildings and the rather confined
spaces cramp the sound. Had the choir
been recorded in a larger church the
additional resonance would probably
have done them greater justice and allowed
them to expand their sound more. (Interestingly,
I have just reviewed a recording, also
on the Lammas label, made in Wells Cathedral.
The recording engineer, Lance Andrews,
was the same on both recordings and
he achieved excellent results in the
much more spacious acoustic at Wells.
So I attribute any sonic problems to
the venues not the engineering.)
Some of the pieces
come off well. The wonderful Parsons
anthem is nicely done as is Tallis’s
exquisite if ye love me. However,
the Batten piece with which the disc
opens needed more life and energy. Here
and elsewhere the singing sounded too
careful.
I have no doubt that
if I had attended an evensong sung by
this choir I would have come away having
enjoyed their singing very much but
I’m less sure that it stands up to repeated
listening. There are good, informative
notes by Christopher Totney and texts
are provided. I’m very sorry that I
can’t be more positive about this disc,
since it has evidently been prepared
with great care. Unfortunately, it enters
an extremely full and competitive market
and, particularly as it is a full priced
release, it can only be given a qualified
welcome.
John Quinn
The Chapel Choir of University College, Durham
directed by Christopher Totney 