Another real bargain from Naxos. It is one of the benefits
of an anniversary that a composer's achievement will be recognised by
performances and recordings of a range of his music, and this attractive
CD brings some excellent but little known pieces to public attention.
The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge is developing
a creditable discography under Christopher Robinson's direction, including
composers such as Edmund Rubbra, Herbert Howells, John Tavener and Benjamin
Britten. Now their performances of Walton's sacred music form a true
centenary tribute.
The opening piece is the inspired Coronation Te Deum,
a truly exhilarating expression of national joy, which sounds well in
this non-orchestral arrangement, thanks to Christopher Whitton's brilliantly
articulated organ playing. It isn't as satisfying as the orchestral
original, of course, but it is still very good. The same might be said
of the two organ solos, taking music from Henry V: good but not the
real thing.
The acoustic of St John's Chapel is what these performers
are used to, and it is helpful to the sound they produce, with accurate
ensemble rewarded and a pleasant bloom to the atmospheric sound. The
Naxos engineers capture this well, both in the full toned music and
the smaller scale works which make up a significant part of the programme.
The litany Drop, drop slow tears is beautifully shaped,
beautifully sung, with a special attention to shadings of dynamic which
is rewarding in itself. So too Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as
sensitive a choral miniature as one might wish to find. Among Walton's
later works, composed during the 1960s, The Twelve is a masterpiece
which abounds in originality, and it gains here from the freshness of
the performance and the sound. The Missa Brevis, composed for Coventry
Cathedral in 1966, is another discovery offered by this imaginative
compilation.
In a field too often dominated by issues with inadequate
documentation, all praise to Naxos for their thorough and splendidly
produced booklet, which includes the full texts of the works performed.
Terry Barfoot
Christopher Whitton (organ)