This new recording
of Stainer’s The Crucifixion from
the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
under the direction of Timothy Brown
is the first special CD in Naxos’s 18th
birthday celebrations. These take place
from May to October 2005. Each ‘CD of
the Month’ for the next six months will
include a limited edition bonus birthday
CD with music themed around the content
of the main disc. The bonus CD with
this release, which is in reality a
‘sampler’, is entitled ‘English Choral
Classics’. This is a compilation
from the acclaimed Naxos back-catalogue
and includes many performances by the
St. John’s College Choir.
Born in London in 1840,
John Stainer lost an eye in a childhood
accident. This did not deter him from
becoming a leading organist of his age
and a musical educator at the University
of Oxford. For years he served at St.
Paul’s Cathedral in London, first as
a chorister and then as organist. Contemporaries
said he raised the Cathedral’s standard
of music to new heights of excellence,
not least by enlarging the choir staff.
In addition to his famous oratorio,
he wrote over 230 services for St. Paul’s
Cathedral as well as other oratorios,
anthems, hymns and cantatas. According
to musicologist Sir George Grove, "amongst
his most successful and artistic pieces
of church music must be named the well-known
‘Sevenfold Amen’."
When Stainer conceived
the novel idea of writing a work for
‘Passion Week’ that was well within
the amateur capabilities of a typical
small town or village choir he could
never have dreamt that The Crucifixion
would become one of the most popular
devotional choral works in the history
of Anglican choral music. Although conceived
on a different level, The Crucifixion
became as admired as Handel’s
Messiah and Mendelssohn’s St.
Paul and Elijah. Stainer,
who was knighted by Queen Victoria in
1888, is remembered as a very great
Victorian.
The Crucifixion
is in fact a ‘Meditation’ on the
Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer.
It is scored for tenor and bass solo,
SATB choir and organ. The work is interspersed
with hymns for the congregation to sing.
The Crucifixion was composed
in 1887 for the use of Stainer’s friend
and pupil William Hodge, who was assistant
sub-organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral
and organist at the St Marylebone Parish
Church, in London. There a performance
of the work has been given every Good
Friday since its first hearing in 1887.
The text to The Crucifixion was
selected and written by Reverend J.
Sparrow-Simpson, whose father was a
colleague of Stainer as Succentor and
Librarian at St. Paul’s. The text has
often been criticised as being rather
awkward and amateurish containing a
surfeit of Victorian piety. Considerable
criticism over the years has not prevented
The Crucifixion securing a permanent
position in the English sacred choral
repertoire.
For me the highlight
is the ambitious number Processional
To Calvary which is preceded by
a splendid lengthy introduction for
organ. The chorus enter with the repeated
cry of the peremptory ‘Fling wide
the gates’ which displays Stainer’s
undoubted gifts for melody and harmony
and is exceptionally well performed
by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge.
Tenor James Gilchrist exudes integrity.
The impressive soloists James Gilchrist
and bass Simon Bailey are spirited and
fully immersed in the direct and tuneful
simplicity of the music. Organist Stephen
Farr gives a splendid account with resounding
technical security.
Good quality sound
and the annotation from Nicholas Temperley
is very impressive. Lovers of English
choral music will relish this highly
attractive release.
Michael Cookson
James Gilchrist (tenor) 
