Maurice DURUFLÉ (1902-1986)
Requiem, Op.9 (version for choir, organ and cello) [40.49]*
Robin MILFORD (1903-1959)
Mass for five voices, Op.84 [18.20]
Christine Rice (mezzo)*, Mark Stone (baritone)*
Guy Johnston (cello)*, Tristan Mitchard (organ)
Choir of Somerville College Oxford/David Crown
rec. Abbey Church, Douai Abbey, Berkshire, 13-15 July 2011* and
Somerville College Chapel, Oxford, 11-12 July 2011
STONE RECORDS 5060192780208 [59.12]
I first encountered the music of Robin Milford when his niece
Marion, who was singing in a performance of my The Children of
Húrin at Oxford, introduced me to some songs by her uncle. These
were included on a Hyperion LP (A66105) devoted to the music of
“Gerald Finzi and friends” (reissued CDH55084). This was the first time that any of Milford’s
music had appeared on a commercial recording. Since then a number of CDs (review review) have appeared featuring various of his works, but
these have all been miniatures. The mass included here is the largest-scale
of his compositions to have been released, although there remain some other
more substantial works which await recording. It was originally entitled
Mass for Christmas morning, but after her uncle’s death Marion
Milford suggested the new title Mass for five voices since the work
has no obvious Christmas connection. This is perhaps unfortunate, as the
original title might have helped the work to gain a slightly higher profile.
It does not appear to have received many performances (if any) since its
first outing in 1953. In the event the work proves to be remarkably
unsettling for Christmas festivities.
At the beginning of the Kyrie one immediately detects the
influence of Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G minor; but almost at
once one also finds a restlessness and experimental use of modality that at
times recalls Delius, at other times the Holst of the Hymn of Jesus,
and at other times seems to anticipate the liturgical passages in
Britten’s War Requiem. This is highly unsettled - and
unsettling music - troubled in spirit. The music often lurches unpredictably
into new tonal centres, sometimes rising to thrilling effect and at other
times falling chromatically into an almost depressive state. It never
abandons its tonal ethos, but it sounds very difficult indeed to pitch and
to sing. The booklet informs us that Milford prepared an organ accompaniment
to reinforce the singers, but this is not used except in the Credo
where it has an independent part. At other points - particularly in the
Benedictus - which in this setting is shorn of its final
Hosanna - one gets the uncomfortable feeling that the singers might
have welcomed organ support to avoid the queasy impression that they
sometimes give of an uncomfortably awareness that their pitch may be
threatening to sag downwards. The choir of Somerville College is not like
many other Oxbridge choirs, with boy sopranos and male altos; it consists of
a body of students who strive valiantly with some very tricky writing.
Milford is very much his own man in this music, not just a pale imitation of
his teachers Vaughan Williams and Holst. It makes one very interested to
hear some of his other large-scale choral works such as the oratorio A
prophet in the land, from which Marion Milford recorded an excerpt for a
Hyperion LP (A66048 never transferred to CD).
The matter of finding a coupling for Milford’s Mass
must have constituted a problem, and the choir here opts for another
liturgical piece written at the same time, Duruflé’s
Requiem. This is given in the chamber edition for soloists, choir,
organ and cello, which Duruflé himself regarded as a valid
alternative to the full orchestral version. However it must be observed that
although this has received a goodly number of recordings over the years, it
lacks the full flavour of the work with orchestra. Duruflé himself
when recording the Requiem opted for the fuller orchestration and
this is currently available on a cheap Warner Apex CD. It must be admitted that the chamber version is
very much ‘penny-plain’ when compared to the
‘twopenny-coloured’ orchestration. It is not helped here by a
rather distant recording - in a very different acoustic to the Milford -
where the organ is sometimes hard to distinguish clearly. Its sudden
eruption at the beginning of the Libera me comes as rather a shock,
as does the abrupt use of full voice by Christine Rice in the Pie
Jesu.
Obviously this disc is most valuable for the Milford, which should
be investigated by all lovers of English liturgical music - but by others
too. The Duruflé is given a nicely recessed performance which brings
out all its charm and devotion.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
Most valuable for the Milford and the Duruflé is nicely recessed performance with charm and devotion.