The excellent idea behind this programme is to assemble a collection
of pieces inspired by or in honour of St. Cecilia, the patron saint
of music and musicians. Arguably, the Elgar part song doesn’t
quite fit that template but let’s welcome it as an exception
that proves the rule. Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia,
his last collaboration with W.H. Auden, is an obvious selection and
it gets an excellent performance here. However, many of the other
pieces are less familiar so their inclusion is doubly welcome. Several
of the pieces were composed for the annual St Cecilia’s Day
service held in London under the auspices of the Musicians Benevolent
Fund.
Two pieces, both here receiving their first recordings, were written
for Rupert Gough and the Choir of Royal Holloway. One of these is
Gabriel Jackson’s La musique. I had the good fortune
to attend the first performance of this piece, which was given at
a Cheltenham Festival concert in July 2013, some weeks after the sessions
for this recording. The piece made a strong impression on me then
(review)
and that’s been reinforced by the opportunity to hear it again
on disc. Jackson has combined two texts in this piece, setting simultaneously
the poem by Baudelaire which gives the piece its title (in French,
for the soprano soloist) and a poem in English, ‘I am in need
of music’ by the American poet, Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979);
this is sung by the choir. The music is attractive and beautifully
imagined; this is another example of Jackson’s highly inventive
ear for unaccompanied choral textures. The soprano solo line, which
is a gift for a singer like Dame Felicity, contrasts with and complements
the choral parts most effectively. The music is gorgeous, not least
the soft, rapt conclusion.
James MacMillan’s Cecilia Virgo, for double choir gets
the programme off to an impressive start. This celebratory piece features
radiant and excitingly full choral textures and, as ever with this
composer, the harmonic language is intriguing. In his notes Rupert
Gough points out that MacMillan has his two choirs singing in different
keys at the start of the work and that over a hundred years earlier
Elgar also used twin tonalities in There is sweet music.
Arguably that was, at the time, a more daring device than would be
the case nowadays. Elgar slightly smooths over the radical nature
of the harmonies because his dynamics are quiet. Nonetheless, this
is a more novel device than we might expect to find in a turn-of-the-century
English part song. The Royal Holloway singers are equally adept in
both of these pieces.
I don’t know if it’s more than a nice coincidence but
two of the pieces involve settings of poems by Ursula Vaughan Williams.
She provided the words for her husband’s lovely Silence
and Music, which is given an exquisite performance here. A few
years later she furnished the text for A Hymn for St. Cecilia
by Howells. This piece is markedly different in style to the offering
from RVW. Where Silence and Music is subtle and delicate
Howells provides a sturdy, hymn-like setting. Both are highly effective
in their different ways: the soaring soprano descant that Howells
adds above the unison tune in the last stanza of his piece is most
striking.
The Howells is one of four pieces – the last four on the programme
– which include an organ accompaniment. Dyson’s Live
for ever, glorious Lord features an important soprano solo part
which is superbly sung here by Jessica Smith, one of the Royal Holloway
sopranos. William Mason’s playing of the substantial organ part
is equally impressive. Sing, mortals! is the last choral
work that Sir Arthur Bliss wrote. I don’t recall hearing it
before and it strikes me that the music is a notable response to the
text.
This is a most interesting and nicely varied programme of music. The
singing is consistently fine. The choir’s blend is excellent
and I admire very much the fresh tone that they produce. Rupert Gough,
as we know from previous releases,
trains his choir marvellously and this disc is another notable achievement.
With Adrian Peacock and David Hinitt serving as producer and engineer
respectively it’s no surprise that the recordings are excellent.
Quite a few of these pieces will be unfamiliar to many collectors,
which adds to the attraction of this splendid disc.
John
Quinn
Track & performance listing
James MACMILLAN (b. 1959)
Cecilia Virgo (2012) [5:38]
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Silence and Music (1953) [5:46]
Gabriel JACKSON (b. 1962)
La musique (2013)* [12:56]
Bernard ROSE (1916-1996)
Feast Song for St Cecilia (1975) [6:09]
Sir Richard Rodney BENNETT (1956-2012)
Verses on St. Cecilia’s Day (2006) [4:59]
Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
There is sweet music. Op. 53/1 (1907) [5:22]
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Hymn to St. Cecilia, Op. 27 (1942) [11:12]
Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983)
A Hymn for St. Cecilia (1961)** [3:10]
Sir George DYSON (1883-1964)
Live for ever, glorious Lord (1952)** [4:55]
John GARDNER (1917-2011)
A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day, Op. 119 (1973)** [4:14]
Sir Arthur BLISS (1881-1975)
Sing, mortals! (1974)** [6:03]
*Dame Felicity Lott (soprano)
**William Mason & Matthew Searles (organ)
The Choir of Royal Holloway/Rupert Gough
