It’s four years now since Andrew Nethsingha moved from
Gloucester Cathedral, where he had been a distinguished Director
of Music, to St. John’s College, where as part of his
training he had once been the Organ Scholar, under George Guest.
Having established himself securely with the college’s
choir he’s begun recording with them for Chandos and the
partnership has already produced some impressive results. These
include a very fine Howells collection (review),
an equally good mixed recital of church music (review)
and a disc of music by Lassus, which I haven’t heard but
which impressed my colleague, Gavin Dixon (review).
Their latest offering is of music for Advent and Christmas;
in every respect it maintains the high standards set by their
previous releases.
Before commenting on the music, can I commend Chandos for the
quality of the booklet? This label is always strong on documentation
but there must be a temptation for record companies to economise
a little on such releases - “it’s only carols”.
In fact, Chandos provide all the texts and, best of all, a really
useful and thorough essay by Martin Ennis, which includes a
separate and interesting paragraph on every one of the twenty-four
items on the programme. The essay, in fact, is a model of its
kind and the best I can recall seeing for a release of seasonal
music.
The programme has been very carefully chosen and includes a
welcome mix of the familiar, the unfamiliar and the familiar
in slightly less-than-familiar guise. Into this latter category
would come items such as the exuberant and effective arrangement
by Philip Marshall, the former organist of Lincoln Cathedral,
of I saw three ships. The version of Ding! dong! merrily
on high would also fall into the exuberant, indeed flamboyant,
category. It was made by the Music Director of the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir and requires two organists. The organ features
strongly - and most effectively - in Stephen Jackson’s
arrangement of Noël nouvelet. Indeed, the organ
writing is a key element in giving the setting its pronounced
French flavour. It’s good to see Andrew Nethsingha give
a bow to one of his predecessors at St. John’s, Christopher
Robinson. Instead of the usual - and excellent - Willcocks descant
to Hark! the herald angels sing we hear Robinson’s
descant and a jolly good one it is!
Moving to the unfamiliar elements in the programme we find Christopher
Robinson there too. I’d not heard before his setting of
Make we joy - a text more famously set by Walton. I like
this Robinson setting very much indeed; it’s buoyant and
strongly rhythmic. Also new to me was Michael Finnissy’s
Telling. Written in 2008, this is a setting for unaccompanied
choir of an anonymous sixteenth century text. Martin Ennis draws
attention, rightly, to the “refined harmonic sensibility”
of the piece. I think it’s a beautiful composition and,
in an intelligent piece of programme ordering, we find that
Kenneth Leighton’s fine Coventry Carol, which comes
next in the running order, complements the Finnissy nicely.
Mention should also be made of Matthew Martin’s Adam
lay ybounden. This is very different from some other settings
- one thinks of Boris Ord’s celebrated setting, for starters.
Martin’s piece is slow and reflective and it’s good
to have another slant on this well-known text. I also liked
the item by James Burton, perhaps best known as Director of
the Oxford Schola Cantorum. His Balulalow eschews trebles
- the altos take the top line - giving an interesting, darker
texture. Some of the harmonies are quite close and I think it’s
a lovely piece.
And so to the familiar seasonal items. It’s right to include
them to give the programme balance. Nethsingha and his singers
pay these pieces - and their listeners - the important compliment
of taking as much care over them as they have done over the
less conventional fare. Harold Darke’s classic piece is
given a lovely performance and lovely too is the choir’s
account of Philip Ledger’s sympathetic arrangement of
Silent Night - good planning, too, to place this immediately
after his equally good arrangement of the Sussex Carol. Ledger’s
predecessor at King’s College, Sir David Willcocks, is
represented by his justly popular Tomorrow shall be my dancing
day. O little town of Bethlehem, mainstay of innumerable
carol services, makes an equally welcome appearance. It wouldn’t
be a Christmas programme without John Rutter. When you hear
his lovely What sweeter music, which, as Martin Ennis
justly observes, contains “one of his most winning melodies”,
you realise just why for so many people Rutter has become synonymous
with Christmas music. The present performance is first class,
with every little detail of Rutter’s music nicely observed.
The singing on this disc is very fine indeed. Solos are well
taken and the choir as a group blends extremely well and sings
with excellent tone and great clarity. Several of the pieces
are accompanied by organ and the college’s Senior Organ
Scholar, John Challenger, does a marvellous job. I relished
especially his splendid contributions - very different from
each other in character - to the Jackson and Mathias pieces.
It only remains to say that the Chandos sound is up to the label’s
usual exalted standard - I listened to this hybrid SACD as a
conventional CD. This most enjoyable disc will be a high quality
Christmas present for a musical friend - or to give to yourself!
John Quinn
see also review by Michael
Cookson
Detailed Track-Listing
John RUTTER (b. 1945)
What sweeter music [4:35]
Traditional French, arr. Stephen JACKSON (b.
1951)
Noël nouvelet [3:35]
James BURTON (b. 1974)
Balulalow [2:25]
William MATHIAS (1934 -1992)
A babe is born, Op.55 [3:24]
Harold DARKE (1888 -1976)
In the bleak mid-winter [4:46]
Traditional French, arr. Mack WILBERG (b. 1955)
Ding! dong! merrily on high [2:48]
Elizabeth POSTON (1905-1987)
Jesus Christ, the apple tree [3:16]
Traditional English, arr. Philip MARSHALL (1921-2005)
I saw three ships [2:02]
Sir Richard Rodney BENNETT (b. 1936)
Out of your sleep [1:44]
Peter WARLOCK (1894-1930)
Benedicamus Domino [1:25]
John JOUBERT (b. 1927)
There is no rose [2:27]
Traditional English, arr. Sir David WILLCOCKS
(b. 1919)
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day [2:00]
Matthew MARTIN (b. 1976)
Adam lay ybounden (2006) [3:13]
Matheo FLECHA the Elder (attrib.) (c.1481-1553)
Riu, riu, chiu [2:37]
Tradional English, arr. Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
(1872-1958)
and Sir Thomas ARMSTRONG (1898-1994) (descant in last verse)
O little town of Bethlehem [3:42]
Traditional German, arr. Michael PRAETORIUS
(1571-1621) (verse 1) and Donald CASHMORE (b. 1926)
Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen [2:54]
Christopher ROBINSON (b. 1936)
Make we joy [2:09]
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847), arr. Christopher
ROBINSON (b. 1936) (last verse)
Hark! the herald angels sing [3:15]
Sir John TAVENER (b. 1944)
The Lamb [3:50]
Michael FINNISSY (b. 1946)
Telling (2008) [4:06]
Kenneth LEIGHTON (1929-1988)
Coventry Carol [3:17]
Traditional English, arr. Sir Philip LEDGER
(b. 1937)
On Christmas night (Sussex Carol) [2:03]
Franz Xaver GRUBER (1787-1863), arr. Sir Philip
LEDGER (b. 1937)
Silent night [3:13]
John Francis WADE (c. 1711-1786), arr. Sir
David WILLCOCKS (b. 1919)
O come, all ye faithful [4:02]
Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge/Andrew Nethsingha
[74:22] 
