William Turner’s
music – and indeed his very name – is so little known that its
restoration in this admirable disc is all the more welcome.
And a restoration is most apposite because Turner’s childhood
encompassed both the Republic and the restoration of the monarchy
in 1660. Pelham Humfrey and John Blow were near contemporaries
and fellow members of the Westminster Abbey Club Anthem,
whilst Purcell was his junior by some years. At sixteen
he was Master of the Choristers at Lincoln but in 1672 he returned
to London to serve in the Chapel Royal and later Westminster
Abbey. Thus his career witnessed the rebirth of English church
music and he lived long enough to see Handel’s establishment
as the premier composer in London – Turner in fact died the
year before Messiah was premiered.
Turner’s effacement
from the Blow-Humphrey axis is certainly unjust if this disc
is representative, and there’s no reason to think it isn’t.
Harmonically and textually his accomplishments are clear and
one wonders whether the reasons for his neglect are more biographical
than musical. The 1696 Te Deum has an extensive role
for countertenor; the writing is fluent and fluid and the word
setting is intelligent and sensitively varied, spiced all the
while with sufficient harmonic twists to keep predictability
flouted. The trumpet is used sparingly – but to optimum advantage,
a telling example of his practical assurance.
Lord, thou hast
been my refuge is beautifully crafted and full of refined
sensitivity and in the case of The Queen shall rejoice we
have a rare example of a full anthem, affirmatory and even bordering
on the jaunty in places. Certainly by the time of some of these
later settings Purcell’s influence seems strong though I wouldn’t
necessarily call it pervasive in any way. Turner’s strong individualism
is still apparent, not least in the concise and beautifully
laid out My soul truly waiteth, one of the most lovely
things here. The 1696 Jubilate Deo has claims to be the
most explicitly Purcellian of the compositions but one should
remember that Purcell’s Jubilate Deo was commissioned
1694, Blow’s in 1695 and Turner’s the following year. He still
held eminence and in some ways is paying homage to the recently
deceased Purcell.
The disc’s attraction
is enhanced by the first class performance of the soloists,
well known in the field, and the choir. The Yorkshire Baroque
Soloists are equally eminent and Geoffrey Webber proves to have
a very winning way with these forces. Add a splendid recording
as well and you have a near-faultless disc of some fine, unjustly
neglected music.
Jonathan Woolf
see also Review
by Johan van Veen
for details
Julia Doyle
(soprano) 
