Cathedral Music: Autumn 2014

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CATHEDRAL MUSIC

CATHEDRAL MUSIC is published twice a year, in May and November

ISSN 1363-6960 NOVEMBER 2014

Editor

Mrs Sooty Asquith, 8 Colinette Road, London SW15 6QQ sooty.asquith@btinternet.com

Editorial Advisers

David Flood & Matthew Owens

Production Manager Graham Hermon grahamhermon@lineone.net

FCM Email info@fcm.org.uk

Website www.fcm.org.uk

The views expressed in articles are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent any official policy of Friends of Cathedral Music. Likewise, advertisements are printed in good faith. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement by FCM.

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Tel: 0845 644 3721

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Every effort has been made to determine copyright on illustrations used. We apologise for any mistakes we may have made. The Editor would be glad to correct any omissions.

Designed and produced by: DT Design, 1 St Wilfrids Road, Ripon HG4 2AF 07828 851458 d.trewhitt@sky.com

Cover photographs

Front Cover

Tewkesbury Abbey

© David Noble (DoM St Mark’s Bilton, Warwickshire) www.flickr.com/photos/davidnoble/ Back Cover

St Magnus Cathedral

© Eleanor Miller (Kirkwall)

Technology bringing tradition to life

Selby Abbey chooses Viscount

Viscount are honoured to have been chosen to supply a temporary instrument for Selby Abbey to cover the period while their historic Hill Norman & Beard instrument undergoes a 2 year restoration programme.

Our Regent 356 was installed in September, with speakers in the triforium and a tuba mirabilis under the west end window.

Fund raising for the pipe organ restoration is well under way and the work has already begun by Principal Pipe Organs of York.

£200,000 is still needed to ensure a complete and magnificent restoration. If you can make even the smallest contribution, your support wlil be much appreciated.

You can send a cheque, payable to:

‘The Selby Abbey Organ Appeal’ Appeal Office, c/o The Rose House, Wykeham, Old Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 6RF.

For an instrument for your church or home use, we would be very pleased to hear from you on 01869 247333 or visit our website at www.viscountorgans.net

From the EDITOR

Winter approaches. I am reminded of this by the atmospheric pictures that accompany David Flood’s account of the Canterbury choir’s pilgrimage to Norway, where grey skies and murky seas predominate (although despite this his choristers found a new way to reach the cathedral in Gildeskål -- in an inflatable motorboat!). And then there’s the Orkney landscape which is so often evoked by Peter Maxwell Davies’s music. One of our greatest living composers, Sir Peter’s early life and important compositions are examined and put into context for us to appreciate by Grenville Hancox, another Canterbury scion. Once the enfant terrible of the classical music world and still composing at the age of 80, Sir Peter was recently referred to as a gériatrique terrible, perhaps for his non-conformist soul, but equally for his continuing search for the unconventional.

The Ngoma Dolce Academy in Lusaka is unconventional in a different way. Set up in 2010 by Dr Paul Kelly and Moses Kalommo, this is a place where musicians of talent can find teachers to take them beyond the self-taught level which was all that was available before the school’s foundation. Classical music education in Africa is clearly beginning to thrive thanks to this initiative, but many more schools and skilled volunteers are needed so that today’s pupils can avoid the six-hour journeys that Moses used to make each week to receive tuition.

Education of course brings both challenges and rewards, some more unexpected than others. Fathoming words like ‘irreprehensibilis’ would definitely have come more easily in

days gone by when Latin was more widely encountered in the schoolroom. Now infrequently taught in the state sector despite the laudable attempts of Boris Johnson and the charity Classics for All, Latin is almost a requirement for enthusiasts of the cathedral music world in general, and the ability to understand the words of an anthem in Latin will surely enhance the listener’s enjoyment. CM readers are likely to be more well versed than most in this particular dead language, but few of us can have been required to set the word to music (pace Bruckner) as was the case with Howard Skempton. See Paul Whitmarsh’s account of his conversation with Howard on p20.

Our front cover for this issue shows the soaring majesty of Tewkesbury Abbey’s interior arches and windows, a tribute in this case to the Abbey School’s 40 years of existence. Simon Bell, Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum’s Director, is reaping the benefit of FCM’s grants to the foundation over the years: without this money (and not forgetting the Ouseley Trust’s contribution either), as many will remember, the choristers at the Abbey School would not have made the successful transition to Dean Close in Cheltenham, and the precious tradition of choral music at the Abbey would almost certainly have been lost. Recent recordings and broadcasts from Tewkesbury show that the choir continues to go from strength to strength, so let us take heart from this that our funds are helping to keep cathedral music alive both in the UK and elsewhere. Enjoy the magazine.

JOINING FRIENDS OF CATHEDRAL MUSIC JOINING FRIENDS OF CATHEDRAL MUSIC

How to join Friends of Cathedral Music

Log onto www.fcm.org.uk and fill in the form, or write to/email the address given on p3.

Member benefits include:

• welcome pack

• twice-yearly colour magazine and twice-yearly colour newsletter

• ‘Singing in Cathedrals’: a pocket-sized guide to useful information on cathedrals in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Opportunities to:

• attend gatherings in magnificent cathedrals

• meet others with a shared interest in cathedral music

• enjoy talks, master-classes, choral and organ performances etc.

Subscription

UK members are asked to contribute at least £20 per year (£25 sterling for European members and £35 sterling for overseas members). UK choristers and full-time UK students under 21 qualify for a reduced rate of £10. New members subscribing at least £30 (standing order) or £50 (single payment) will receive a free fulllength CD of cathedral music, specially compiled for FCM members.

FCM’s purpose is to safeguard our priceless heritage of cathedral music and support this living tradition. We strive to increase public awareness and appreciation of cathedral music, and encourage high standards in choral and organ music. Money is raised by subscriptions, donations and legacies for choirs in need.

Since 1956 we have given over £2 million to Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedral, church and collegiate chapel choirs in the UK and overseas; endowed many choristerships; ensured the continued existence of a choir school, and worked to maintain the cathedral tradition. Please join now and help us to keep up this excellent work.

Sooty Asquith

Grenville Hancox writes on Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Companion of Honour, CBE, and Master of the Queen’s Music for ten years until 2014, shows no sign yet of slowing down the compositional output which has been a hallmark of his illustrious and extraordinary musical life. The premiere of his Symphony No. 10 earlier this year, a celebratory Prom to mark his 80th birthday, and a raft of commissions for the years ahead are testimony to the creative energy and discipline that are characteristic of the composer. Even life-threatening leukaemia in 2012 could not stem the muse, a hospital room becoming necessarily a temporary studio and venue for the symphony’s defiant composition.

Photo: Martin Lengemann

Photo: Eamonn McCabe

Born in September 1934 (in the same year as Elgar died) to Tom and Hilda Davies in Salford, Lancs, Peter Maxwell Davies (always known to friends as ‘Max’) lived for the first four years of his life above a newsagent’s shop owned by his mother’s parents. His father, an expert instrument-maker for an optical firm, sometimes sang with a male voice choir; his mother was a vivacious, talented woman who a generation later would have had the opportunity to study at a university. Neither parent was a practising musician, although the piano was a feature of the extended family’s entertainment, and local productions of Gilbert & Sullivan were a significant element within the cultural life of the area. Once, after attending a performance of The Gondoliers, his parents were astounded that their four-year-old could recall and sing every song from the operetta the following morning! This experience not surprisingly suggested to them that their child had an unusual and probably prodigious talent, while Max himself knew from that moment on that he wanted to be a composer. In a less open society than now, Max’s parents were demonstratively loving and affectionate, and were supportive as well as somewhat unusual in encouraging an independence of both thought and actions in their son. Not for them the suggestion that ‘children should be seen but not heard’! Home was always a welcome refuge for Max until their death.

as a curriculum subject was not part of the school’s macho culture!

Having won a Lancashire County Council scholarship to read music in a joint course at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester School of Music (chosen also to be close to his home and his piano), Max again rubbed up against stuffy authoritarian educators and found much of the curriculum and teaching unpalatable. His world was already informed by extensive reading, by enquiry and discovery, whilst his course ‘consisted not of finding anything out but of learning facts by rote and regurgitating them in the approved manner’. His professor of composition (whose roots were firmly anchored in the 19th century and who despised contemporary compositions and composers) was an unfortunate choice for Max, who began to search for his own influences and teachers.

Max was an exceptionally bright and enquiring young boy and adolescent. Enjoying piano lessons on an instrument that was an enormous expense for his parents, he quickly surpassed the skills of successive piano teachers and was always at the top of every class at school. A scholarship to Leigh Grammar School spawned one of his first brushes with authority, his headmaster recognising and wishing to utilise Max’s intellect to further the reputation of the school by making him follow a curriculum which would have resulted in a science scholarship to Cambridge. Max would have none of it, and insisted on sticking to his goal of becoming a composer. The headmaster, totally out of sympathy with this, implied that teaching music

The first of these was a group of contemporary students with whom he established significant and career-determining relationships. Alexander Goehr, Harrison Birtwistle, Elgar Howarth and John Ogdon certainly stimulated his composing and helped realise some of his earliest and most demanding works such as the Sonata for Trumpet and Piano op. 1, premiered by Howarth and Ogdon in Manchester and then London. The second set of influences began with his visits to Darmstadt and New York to study with Bruno Maderna and Roger Sessions, two intensely bright beacons of new musical thought. Max followed this up with 18 months of study with Italian Modernist Goffredo Petrassi, whose very wide range of traditional and avant-garde styles, including serialism, enabled him to offer criticisms which transformed the extraordinary young composer into a budding master craftsman.

Once, after attending a performance of The Gondoliers, his parents were astounded that their fouryear-old could recall and sing every song from the operetta the following morning! This experience not surprisingly suggested to them that their child had an unusual and probably prodigious talent, while Max himself knew from that moment on that he wanted to be a composer.

This period of challenging study was underpinned and influenced by Max’s regular attendances at Evensong in Manchester Cathedral, where Allan Wicks was in charge of the music. Max’s immersion in Renaissance motets and the anthems of Gibbons, Byrd and Tallis proved enormously influential. Close study of the work of these composers, and the texts used ignited not only a passion for Renaissance music, but also one for sacred texts and poetry which has lasted throughout his life and informed his compositional technique and works. His stay in Rome nurtured the passion for Renaissance music further – while attending the sung masses at the Benedictine monastery on the Aventine Hill, he had opportunity to listen to and study music by Palestrina and Victoria, amongst others.

see. Just as the figure of Christ is there – overtly, or cloaked and by implication – in at least four of his operas, so the Church, with its scented allure, its vestments, its musical legacy, its morality and its misbehaviour, has always been an object of Davies’s attention (and even affection), whether for revering, or parodying.’

It is not therefore a surprise to find within the vast published output of this remarkable composer a significant number of sacred works. In his first ten years of composing Maxwell Davies produced more than a dozen motets and carols. These were followed closely by the Five Motets, Four Carols and Five Carols, together with the individual Marian settings Ave Maria and Ave plena gracia, and Ave rex angelorum and the anthem Hymn to the word of God (a setting of a Byzantine Orthodox text), all of which demonstrate his passion for texts in Latin and English. Paul Griffiths wrote of the Five Carols of 1966: ‘Davies’s carols have the exceedingly rare quality of being simple but not condescending, natural-sounding but full of interest, beautiful but not sentimental. Their style is quite distinctive. Whether Latin or English, the texts come from medieval sources, and the music seems to strike back to the Middle Ages in its rhythmic life and its pure modality, though the common seconds and tritones make these very much 20th-century pieces.’

Davies’s two masses for Westminster Cathedral, one with dramatic double organ, the other simpler and optionally a cappella, along with his two settings of the canticles for St Mary’s Edinburgh and Wells Cathedral, are 20th- or 21st-century classics of their kind. Another striking choral piece is Hymn to the Spirit of Fire, first performed in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral in 2008 and dedicated to Sir Paul McCartney. Max has also written several substantial widely performed works for solo guitar and for organ, including an organ sonata.

For at least 76 years of his life

Three years as a revolutionary music teacher in a 500-year-old grammar school in Cirencester brought Max and his music to the attention of his home nation. New child-centred methods of teaching music, writing for and alongside his pupils, resulted in seminal works, media attention (regular press coverage, frequent radio interviews and a television documentary) and visits to the school by some of the leading musicians of the day including John Ogdon and the Amici Quartet. In December 1960 the first performance of O magnum mysterium was given, and like his greatly admired contemporary Benjamin Britten, Max successfully tackled the challenge of writing music for children and adult musicians in the same work without artistic compromise.

Not surprising therefore that his works, whether secular or sacred, have much in common. As Roderic Dunnett wrote, in 2004

‘Ever since his student days, when the 20-something-yearold Maxwell Davies launched himself on an unsuspecting European musical world with works like his wind sextet Alma redemptoris Mater, the sonata for double wind St Michael, the First Taverner Fantasia and the Seven in nomine [instrumental works], the plainsong roots of a vast proportion of Davies’s output have been plain for all to

Throughout his life, Max’s friendships and relationships have often provided the stimulus for composition (e.g. his trumpet sonata, which he wrote after hearing Elgar Howarth play the trumpet in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio). As a corollary to his ideas he needed an ensemble to realise them, one prepared to be challenged by him and to share his burning passion for music. Such a group was The Pierrot Players, which had been

Max has listened to, thought about, read, performed, studied and composed music, his extraordinary intellect always applied to provide a challenging response to the world around him, always an advocate for the central role that music should play in our society.

formed by Harrison Birtwistle and which metamorphosed (after Birtwistle had left) into The Fires of London The ensemble became one of the best-known contemporary music groups of all time.

Relationships and associations with larger groups of musicians in chamber and symphony orchestras have also been a hallmark of the composer. His ten Strathclyde concertos offer an insight into this: each individual concerto was written for one of the players of the ensemble, the composer inspired by and challenging the recipient of the dedication to scale new heights of musical expression, just as he had done with The Fires of London and its players. (When, for example, virtuoso horn player Richard Jenkins joined The Fires, Max wrote Sea Eagle for him. At first this was considered only playable by a virtuoso like Jenkins but now it is so mainstream that it’s often used as a piece for audition!) Residencies, conducting laureates, and orchestral commissions such as for his eighth symphony (the Antarctic Symphony) reflect the in-depth dialogue he has maintained with such ensembles.

I believe too that Max has enjoyed a significant relationship with musicians working in churches and cathedrals of the United Kingdom and with the liturgy itself. As Paul McElendin wrote:

‘When news emerged soon after the millennium that Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was writing not one, but two settings of the Mass, eyebrows were raised: had the wily leopard changed his spots? What could have brought the scourge of the establishment, the doyen of the Sixties’ avantgarde, the witty and savage lampooner of the Church and all things establishment-connected, to contemplate composing for the liturgy?’

His questioning, analytical, probing mind has led to religious attitudes which as Max suggests ‘are very open indeed, but I do feel that for human beings to make God in our own image is a terrible affront, because we’re so limited in our understanding.’

The pattern of compositional output, whether sacred or secular, demonstrates the importance of person and place underpinned by an unconventional belief perhaps, but with a complete awareness of the importance of Christian liturgy to the arts. Thus the early relationships with pupils at Cirencester, so too with Martin Baker at Westminster, or Matthew Owens at St Mary’s Edinburgh: all have led to new compositions and recordings of his sacred music output.

A picture emerges of someone acknowledged throughout the world as one of the greatest living composers who has developed a technique of composition beautifully crafted, informed by depth of reading and enquiry into sacred texts and the liturgy and often motivated by place and people to compose. Of someone who sees his role as a conduit for different interpretations of belief, who has great admiration for the tradition of choral singing, for the role that cathedrals and parish churches play in maintaining excellence and celebration. Someone who writes music that is challenging but steeped in this tradition and who through his now relinquished role as Master of the Queen’s Music has added significantly to the repertoire. His idea to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee in 2012 resulted in Choirbook for the Queen, a collection of forty anthems, of which twelve were new commissions (including

one of his own to a text by Rowan Williams) which Max hoped would “hold its own with The Eton Choir Book”

For at least 76 years of his life Max has listened to, thought about, read, performed, studied and composed music, his extraordinary intellect always applied to provide a challenging response to the world around him, always an advocate for the central role that music should play in our society. On his appointment as a Companion of Honour earlier this year, Max said, “I am delighted to be joining such distinguished company in receiving the Order of the Companions of Honour. It is vital that society acknowledges the importance of the arts and composition and classical music in general. Anything that raises the profile of our art form is both wonderful and most welcome.”

Grenville Hancox MBE Professor Emeritus, Canterbury Christ Church University

As Head of Department and Director of Music at Canterbury Christ Church University until April 2012, Grenville Hancox is well regarded for his work as an educationist, performer and conductor. In 2000 he was made Professor of Music. His long established friendship with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and the Maggini Quartet continued with their collaboration on the Naxos String Quartet Project, the composer writing two string quartets each year over a five-year period. As a clarinet player he has performed extensively throughout the UK, on the European mainland and in the USA, and has appeared with, amongst others, the London Mozart Players, and the Maggini and the Sacconi string quartets. As a conductor he has directed choral groups of every age, premiering works by many composers including Sir John Tavener. He received an MBE in 2005 for services to music in higher education and in 2006 a Civic Award from Canterbury City Council for services to the community. In 2012 he established The Canterbury Cantata Trust (www.canterburycantatatrust.co.uk). Current research interest centres on the impact of choral singing on people with Parkinson’s Disease; he has established two singing groups in Canterbury and London over the past four years, providing opportunities for Parkinson’s people and their carers to come together and sing.

(See www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15732780)

A CANTERBURY PILGRIMAGE David Flood

The interest focused on Canterbury as a site of pilgrimage grew very quickly after Thomas à Becket was murdered on 29 December 1170, and a powerful attraction generated by the circumstances surrounding his death still effortlessly draws people in. Becket’s influence was more far-reaching than most of us realise. Over the years, Canterbury Cathedral has welcomed millions of pilgrims to follow the route that so many have followed before.

The most northern site where a relic of St Thomas is reported to be found is in Norway, in the community of Gildeskål and the village of Inndyr, on the coast a little south of the city of Bodø. Nowadays we know that this magical place is 300km north of the Arctic Circle, and as such is not very often visited by tourists or pilgrims, but the people there feel a strong link to the English saint whose relic they guard and venerate.

One member of the church community, Oddbjørn Nikolaisen, who works as both churchwarden and organist for the community of Gildeskål, has a passionate determination to see this ancient link strengthened and renewed. At his invitation and encouraged by the whole community, the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, and members of the cathedral chapter and city council have visited both Gildeskål and Bodø

in recent years, with the cathedral musicians adding further strength and visibility to this link. The Bishop of Bodø, Tor Berger Jørgensen, joined the Anglican and Episcopal bishops at the enthronement of Archbishop Justin Welby, and others from that community often come to Canterbury to attend a service. The cathedral choir’s latest trip was in April this year.

We were told to expect temperatures between 2-6oC. On our journeys from one concert to another we saw many beautiful frozen streams and lakes; snow was still lying next to the roads in some higher parts of our travel. The scenery all around was simply breathtaking and hundreds of photographs were taken. Hats, coats and gloves, long since put back in the drawer in south-east England, were important additions to the packing.

Along with two concerts, one in Gildeskål and one in the cathedral in Bodø, we sang three services, the first of which was probably the most poignant but the shortest and least public. Standing in an arc in front of the altar where the relic of St Thomas lies in the old church in Gildeskål, the lay clerks sang an Evensong featuring music linked to St Thomas of Canterbury: the plainsong introit associated with his feast Gaudeamus omnes, and an anthem by Canterbury composer Alan Ridout Salve lux laetitiae, written specifically for feasts

The Canterbury choristers with Bodø choristers

All photos © Chris Price

of St Thomas and still in manuscript. The uplifting concert which followed became an extension to this very moving occasion. Both Evensong and concert were sung to large audiences, although the new church (just a few yards away) can hold many more people than the old one.

The concert on the previous evening in the cathedral in Bod was a wonderful occasion, received with a standing

Gildeskål new church

Gildeskål old church

Inside Bodø Cathedral The organ is by Eule

Inside Gildeskål new church

Sunday brought two services to sing: a mass including preparation for confirmation in Gildeskål, and a Choral Evensong in Bodø. The many children preparing for confirmation were mightily impressed by the choral forces for this, their special service, and there was a little time for photographs (even ‘selfies’!) to be taken with the Canterbury choristers in their purple cassocks. What a shame it is that we don’t learn Norwegian – but how wonderful that most Norwegians speak English!

Evensong attracted an even larger congregation than the concert. By that stage, news of what might be expected musically had travelled far and wide, and besides, for Evensong no tickets were needed! The very plain but beautiful interior of the cathedral gives a wonderful acoustic and, in combination with the fabulous new organ by Eule, both Evensong and the concert were magnificent occasions.

I have not yet mentioned the diversion (not publicised to the boys before leaving) which lives longer in their memory than almost everything else: the trip from Bodø to Gildeskål, normally 90 minutes by road, but taken on three high-speed RIBs (rigid-inflatable boats) across the fjord. The journey direct takes about twenty minutes by water but on this occasion there were some additions to the norm. The members of the choir (with the exception of the Master of the Choristers, who had to go to a meeting with the Bishop!) were dressed in protective suits, hats and goggles, ready for a trip across the still fjord at very high speed. They went to see a maelstrom, where two sea currents collide in a narrow inlet, had a lunch of local fish on a tiny island and then arrived at the church for their rehearsal and concert by sea, witnessing the church appearing out of the mist and clouds in a magical way. The scenery was reportedly most spectacular.

Throughout this tour we were shadowed by our good friends from BBC TV who are making a sequence of programmes on Canterbury Cathedral. They were very intrepid on the boat trip and very unintrusive in our concerts and services. They became a central part of the trip, in the same way that they have become a part of our everyday lives recently.

We leave behind in Norway a massively strengthened friendship and collaboration between two communities that have been linked for many centuries. We are very grateful to all those Norwegian friends who worked so hard to make this trip so successful, and we look forward to further adventures in the future. Now, how far south is the influence of St Thomas to be found…?

BBC cameramen filming

Choristers arrive in the RIB

David Flood is Organist and Master of the Choristers at Canterbury Cathedral, a post he has held since 1988. He was previously Organist of Lincoln Minster and Assistant Organist at Canterbury. The choir under his direction has made 15 recordings and toured extensively in Europe and North America. Most importantly, the cathedral choir sings seven days a week in term time to a very large eclectic congregation from all corners of the world: a responsibility they not only cherish but enjoy. David is a Visiting Professor and Honorary Fellow at Canterbury Christ Church University and a Visiting Fellow of St John’s College, Durham. He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Kent in 2002.

PROFILE PETER DYKE

it was such a huge privilege to be able to work with a choir trainer of the calibre of Barry Rose. The choir sang to an incredibly high standard and its music was much appreciated by the very large cathedral congregation.

What or who made you take up the organ?

It’s difficult to put my finger on this. I’d played the piano since the age of six, and had always thought the organ a logical step onwards. From an early age I was helping out by playing for services: I remember a percipient priest asking me (then 13) to play for the monthly evening youth service at the parish’s daughter church, and from then on I never looked back.

When you were at school, did you think you might end up where you are now?

At school I had a vague plan I would be an organist, but I hadn’t given much thought to where or at what level that might be. Being the only first-study organist in my school I found it quite hard to judge my own ability against what might be expected. It’s worth mentioning that I did very much enjoy a visit to a Hereford Three Choirs Festival in the 1980s.

Tell CM readers about the Organists’ Training Schemes you helped to found in Gwent and Hereford.

Education details:

I grew up in Harpenden, and went to Batford and St George’s Schools. St George’s was unusual for a state school in that it had a chapel and an organ. I was awarded the organ scholarship to Robinson College, Cambridge, where I studied for a music degree from 1983–86.

Career details to date (and dates):

I worked in the civil service for a year after leaving university, while also taking on the job of organist at St Helen’s Church, Wheathampstead. This post became a central part of a freelance musical career from 1987 to 1992, when I moved to St Woolos Cathedral, Newport as Assistant Organist, keeping much of my freelance work in the south-east. After three years at Newport I became organ scholar at St Albans Abbey in 1995, and moved to my current post at Hereford in 1998.

Were you a chorister, and if so, where? Did you enjoy the experience?

I was never a chorister, though I did sing in school choirs. I played the oboe and cor anglais in various youth orchestras, including the Hertfordshire County Youth Orchestra. I would strongly recommend orchestral membership to all organists and I’m sure that this experience has encouraged my enthusiasm for transcribing orchestral music for the organ.

What did you enjoy most about being an organ scholar at St Albans?

I was at St Albans at a very exciting time: the new girls’ choir was in the process of being founded by Andrew Parnell and

The initial plan came from the local RSCM committee, which wanted to support the large number of churches without choirs by helping their existing organists enhance their skills, and at the same time encourage more people to play the organ. I was very keen that PCCs and congregations should be involved, so we made provision for churches to sponsor part or all of the cost of a year’s lessons. We devised a syllabus with five levels of attainment, confirmed by informal assessments, for students to work towards. In Hereford now we run a variety of educational workshops each year and work closely with parish churches, the cathedral, schools and other organisations to try to keep interest in the organ alive, when the great majority of young people don’t go to church or hear the organ at all. It’s been working well but there is always more that can be done!

What organ pieces have you been inspired to take up recently and why?

Hereford Cathedral has a very fine library, containing a great many manuscripts. We recently discovered some organ concerti by a former vicar choral here, William Felton, and I played one of these from the old edition before a festival service the other day. Bach, of course, provides endless inspiration. I’ve never learnt the whole of his output as I like the idea that there are still new pieces to discover. Over the next year I’d love to learn Vierne’s Symphony No. 4, which is a compellingly powerful piece with real harmonic excitement. I spent a fair part of 2013 transcribing and learning Dvořák’s ‘New World’ Symphony, in which I’d played the oboe and cor anglais parts many years ago; this was a very rewarding chance to get to know this great music in closer detail.

Photo: Derek Walton

Photo: Glyn Morgan

Do you get much time to compose? What are your recent pieces?

I’m not sure I ought to mention this but my most recent composition was a four-bar jingle for Hereford Hospital Radio, written for the choral scholars to sing! No, there’s not much time to compose, though along with other tutors on the Organists’ Training Scheme I’m currently working on some short chorale preludes for a collection to be published later this year.

Which organists do you admire the most?

There are so many! I’ve never forgotten hearing Pierre Pincemaille improvise stunningly and in so many different styles; Dame Gillian Weir played splendidly at Hereford, Thomas Trotter performed the Elgar Vesper Voluntaries supremely beautifully at Malvern Priory, and I admire too the many liturgical organists who conduct and accompany so well and still maintain solo recital careers. I must mention the late David Sanger too, who taught me an enormous amount about informed and musical interpretation of such a wide range of repertoire as well as being a thoroughly generous and genuine person.

What was the last CD you bought?

Schubert’s Fantaisie in F minor for piano duet, played by the Labèque sisters. A great piece, played with insight and understanding as well as perfect ensemble.

What was the last recording you were working on?

Not counting live broadcasts, the last one was a disc of Christmas music with Hereford Cathedral Choir. This included two new carols by Richard Lloyd (organist of Hereford from 1966–74), some more familiar items, and also a short composition of my own, which I’m very grateful to my colleague Geraint Bowen for including.

What is your

a) favourite organ to play?

Of course, it depends on what the occasion is and what music I’m playing. I really love the Willis at Hereford for its rich and subtle colours, and its ability to create a seamless continuum from silence to splendour; few organs compare to it for setting the scene. Having said that, I very much enjoy playing wellvoiced tracker instruments, such as the Frobenius organs at Robinson College and The Queen’s College Oxford for sheer beauty of single registers.

b) favourite building?

I’m not sure there is one I can say is the favourite: so many are amazing. If forced to reduce to a short list I’d include Ely, Durham, Coventry and Kirkwall Cathedrals, the old (now redundant) church at Kempley (Glos), and the Marienkirche in Lübeck.

c) favourite anthem?

O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (Bach), though I realise it’s not typical repertoire; anything by Gibbons, especially See the word is incarnate; Anthony Piccolo’s The Key

d) favourite set of canticles?

Howells Collegium Regale Te Deum and Jubilate; Leighton’s evening settings, and Tomkins 5th

e) favourite psalm and accompanying chants?

I find the psalms increasingly inspiring, and we’re very lucky still to do the psalms for the day here. Some favourites are Psalm 49 to the E major chant by G R Sinclair; Psalm 55 to the F minor chant by Hervey, and I quite enjoy the slow pulse of Psalm 119.

f) favourite organ piece?

I think it has to be the St Anne Fugue (Bach), but Franck’s 2nd and 3rd Chorals are also high up the list, as is much by Messiaen and Böhm’s Vater unser im Himmelreich

g) favourite composer?

As someone else once said, hopefully the composer whose work I’m performing at the time! As well as the obvious composers of choral and organ music, I really love Debussy, Ravel, Wagner, Shostakovich, Nielsen and Brahms.

When is your next organ recital? Which pieces are you including?

There was a major recital at Hereford Cathedral on 22 July, which included not only the entire Enigma Variations (in a transcription I made a few years ago) but also a fifteenth ‘Enigma Variation’ newly commissioned from David Briggs and entitled ‘RCM’ in honour of Dr Roy Massey’s 80th birthday.

Have you played for an event or recital that stands out as a great moment?

I gave one of the Sunday morning recitals after the mass at St Denis (near Paris) in 1991; the sheer power and richness of hearing Widor on that wonderful historic Cavaillé-Coll organ was unforgettable.

Has any particular recording inspired you?

There have been many, of course, but one that stands out is what won me over to the chorales of Bach’s Clavierübung III: Christa Rakich playing on three LPs I was given in 1985.

How do you cope with nerves?

The challenges presented by nerves evolve as a player gets older; one’s level of experience increases, but one’s ability to deploy lightning reactions perhaps gets less rapid. Of course, being as prepared as possible will help, and that will include trying to anticipate as far as possible aspects of the pressure of the event or recording. Above all, it’s good to remember that we’re trying to do our best shot for composers who (mostly) aren’t around now to communicate through their music for themselves – it’s not so much a critical examination of our own validity as players.

What are your hobbies?

I love travelling, and get at least some regular exercise by walking. It’s important to get out of the cathedral close on a day off when possible, and we’re very lucky in Hereford to be surrounded by fabulous countryside, and there are hills of hugely varying wildness not far away.

Do you play any other instruments?

I gave a piano recital last year in aid of the Voluntary Choir tour to Nuremberg: it was challenging and enjoyable to work on music by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann in a solo (rather than accompanimental) context, and I would encourage all organists to keep playing the piano too. It’s now a long time since I played the oboe in public, the last time I did that was in a Karg-Elert piece for organ, violin and oboe from his Op. 78.

Would you recommend life as an organist?

Definitely! It’s a great privilege to be able to do any job which is enjoyable and which can provide so much pleasure and value for others too. The educational side is also very rewarding, both with regard to the children in the choir, the scholars, and people in the congregation and wider community.

What are the drawbacks?

There are inevitably less attractive sides of the job: the hours are not always sociable or flexible, and there are always challenges involved in meeting the many and varied deadlines. But, in the words of a former organ scholar here who was surprised at the amount of admin, “At least we get to play the organ!”

Marktkirche in Hanover

Photo: Dirk Rauschkolb

NGOMA DOLCE MUSIC ACADEMY: years of a musical adventure Paul Kelly

regularly visits the conducting workshops run by the Royal Schools of Music.

I am a doctor, and have worked for over 24 years in Zambia, on and off, in medical education and research. I was naturally drawn to the Lusaka Music Society, where I met Moses, through singing in its choir and in an a cappella group, Vox Zambezi (www.voxzambezi.net). (This is a chamber choir of 9-14 singers, which gives concerts in the UK and Europe; we have just returned from a tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria.) It was Moses who first suggested that in order to develop the small music scene in Lusaka it would be logical to start a music school so that other children interested in music wouldn’t have to travel so far! So we set up our new school in a rented house with two teachers, Obrien Mweemba and Cathrine Mukupa. Both of these young musicians were good friends, through Moses’s church and through Vox respectively. Both are largely self-taught musicians who have had masterclasses and further training through Vox and now through the Academy. Initially, I put up the money for the rent, then supported them through paying their tuition

Icalled Ngoma Dolce Music Academy (www.ngomadolce. org; ‘ngoma’ means ‘drum’) in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Now that we’ve been doing it for four years, it’s time for a little reflection.

Why would anyone want to set up a classical music school in the heart of Africa? Africans are conspicuously underrepresented in international classical music, so surely this means that there’s enough fun in indigenous music to keep everyone happy without any need for the rigours of a formal classical education? Well, Moses and I don’t think so, and Moses’s own musical story may help explain why. He grew up in Lusaka in a musical family, but found no one to teach him the violin. He used to travel to Harare every week for lessons, leaving on Friday and returning on Saturday, a journey of 6 hours each way. Eventually, he joined the music camps run now for 50 years by the National Musicamp Association of Zimbabwe (www.musicamp.org), and with them he found the further musical education he always wanted. He is now a full-time music teacher in a private school in Lusaka, and

We have almost finished building a bespoke new music school on a piece of land on which we have plenty of room for expansion. We have put our own money into this, and are very grateful for some very generous donations from supporters in the UK and in Zambia.

The Academy has three objectives.

First to give lessons to paying students who progress through the examination sequence of the ABRSM. We are now the Zambian examinations centre for the ABRSM, and our results are improving all the time.

Second to act as a focus for musical activities, including rehearsals, recitals, lectures and meetings, and to allow musicians to meet and to make music together. We are broadening this objective to include professional development for music teachers, because they need stimulation and support to remain effective.

Third to reach out to children in less wellresourced communities and provide opportunities for learning and participating in music. Through the generosity of two Canadian charities, Rose Charities and Malambo Grassroots, we have been able to provide weekly choral and instrumental lessons for the entire choir of a local school, Kamulanga, in the southern part of Lusaka.

One of the Kamulanga School students recently wrote: ‘Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn music [viola], it’s part of my life, it flows in me.’ This ‘flow’ has recently been on display in some performances our students gave as part of the Lusaka music festival ‘Promenades Musicales’, both on their own and as part of a performance of Carmina Burana

Currently, the situation is very exciting. We have seven teachers: Cathrine (piano), Lulu (singing), Obrien (strings), William (guitar), Morgan (piano), John (brass) and Chucks (drums, including Zambian drumming). We have almost finished building a bespoke new music school on a piece of land on which we have plenty of room for expansion. We have put our own money into this, and are very grateful for some very generous donations from supporters in the UK and in Zambia. Three donors so far have allowed us to name a room after someone they want to celebrate, in recognition of their donation. We have a good selection of instruments (mostly donated secondhand), and we have the support of many well-wishers and friends including Theo Bross, a cellist from Stuttgart, and the trustees of the Muze Trust, including Mark Williams (Jesus College Cambridge) and Peter Phillips (Merton College Oxford) who are wonderfully supportive. The Muze Trust is about to launch a programme with the Estelle Trust to send four Oxbridge students to join us in the summer holidays.

The future of classical music education in Africa looks surprisingly exciting. While Ngoma Dolce is finding its feet in

The Ngoma Dolce Academy building

Photo: Will Ham

Lusaka, there are other initiatives elsewhere on the continent, notably a street orchestra in Congo which gives amazing performances; and one where members of a school in Luanda, Angola, inspired by El Sistema (the music education programme in Venezuela), recently visited Lusaka with a view to future collaboration, particularly for the teachers. South Africa has long had a tradition of excellence in classical music, and this is true in Zimbabwe too.

This list is not of course exhaustive. An emerging need, to our mind, is the establishment of schools, no matter how small, where aspiring musicians can interact and develop. Above all, Africa needs professional training for a new generation of teachers. Without high-quality teachers, all the classical musicians will be self-taught and will never reach their full potential. Instruments are important too, but the hardest (and most long-term) challenge is to develop the teachers, and we are desperate to raise funds for this work. We very much need active and retired music teachers to come and teach the teachers, both so that the teachers can achieve more in terms of their own vocal and instrumental performance, but also so that they can learn good teaching techniques and how to raise standards.

More details of the project can be found at The Muze Trust (www.muzetrust.org).

Promenade concert given by Muze Trust pupils at the Alliance Francaise in 2013

Ngoma Dolce orchestra

Photo: Will Ham

Pupils of the Mulele Mwana School in Lusaka during an outreach lesson

Photo: Will Ham

TEWKESBURY ABBEY IN CELEBRATION

- with thanks to FCM Simon Bell

The Abbey School and its choir were the brainchild of the late Miles Amherst, who sadly passed away last year (see CM 2/13). Miles, who first visited the Abbey in 1952, had been struck by the architecture and atmosphere of the building, but it was not until over twenty years later that he finally grasped the nettle and, with the backing of the vicar, Canon Cosmo Pouncey, and the Abbey organist, Michael Peterson, opened the school on 9th September 1973. The following May saw the choir, consisting of eight choristers and three men, sing its first service of Evensong. The music was simple: ferial responses, a single psalm, Samuel Arnold’s Evening Service in A and Henry Ley’s The Strife is O’er. The choir initially sang Evensong once a fortnight, but within two years it was singing Evensong on four nights every week in term time, with the Abbey Choir continuing to sing the services at the weekend.

As the school grew in numbers, so Miles Amherst was able to appoint more staff. One condition of these appointments was that the holder of each position should be able to sing, and perhaps because of this it wasn’t until September 1978 that the full complement of six lay clerks was reached.

The Choral Scholarship Fund, set up in 1976, continues to raise funds towards bursaries for the choristers. FCM have generously supported this fund over the years with the award of four grants. Three of these grants (£8000 in 1986, £10,000 in 1998 and, most recently, £20,000 in 2013) have been invested to provide income to support the choristers’ bursaries, without which the choir would not have continued to flourish.

Whilst the choir thrived, sadly the numbers at the school were not so healthy. In 2005, the governors of the Abbey School realised that a school where the numbers totalled 85 was not financially viable in the long term. There were also problems with retaining numbers after Year 6 (ages 11-12), when most of the non-choristers departed for their next schools, leaving very small classes in the top two years. Following many months of deliberation, the decision for the school to close was announced on 28th April 2006, and the school entered voluntary liquidation.

2014 marks the 40th anniversary of The Abbey School Choir, Tewkesbury singing its first service of Choral Evensong.

Simon Bell

Photo: Ali Dugdale

Tewkesbury Abbey choir at 40th anniversary service

Photo: Jack Boskett

However, good fortune was to play a part in securing the way forward. Whilst the then headmaster of the Abbey School, Neil Gardner, was phoning round local schools to inform them of the impending closure, the headmaster of the Cheltenhambased Dean Close School at the time, the Revd Timothy HastieSmith, asked about the choir and its future, realising that here might be an opportunity. After a flurry of activity during the ensuing few weeks, the end result was that the choir would be saved, and the choristers taken in by DCPS.

Financing the scholarships for the choristers was one of the major hurdles that had to be overcome. FCM and the Ouseley Trust both stepped in and awarded major emergency grants to underpin the boys’ scholarships for the first two years. At this point, the Choral Scholarship Fund was severely depleted, and wasn’t in a position to support the fees, so the £30,000 that the FCM contributed was critical in securing the survival of the choir. In addition, Michael Peterson had recently passed away, and part of his estate was left to the scholarship fund.

In total, ten choristers made the switch from the Abbey School to DCPS in September 2006. Three new recruits, who were already pupils at Dean Close, joined them and the choir under its new name, Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum of Dean Close Preparatory School, sang its first Evensong on Monday 11th September. Two significant events which followed in quick succession (by coincidence) gave the choir huge national publicity at a time of great change. Later in September, the choir broadcast Choral Evensong live from St

Michael’s College, Tenbury to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the former choir school there. Then came FCM’s national gathering at Gloucester and Tewkesbury, when Christopher Robinson spoke memorably to the choristers and presented the first instalment of the emergency grant to the Choral Scholarship Fund.

Inevitably, the choir’s routine had to be modified significantly as a result of its move, but the choristers had the benefit of being in a thriving school with considerably larger class sizes. The chorister rehearsals and journeys to Tewkesbury to sing Evensong were slotted around the timetable at Dean Close. After various rehearsal patterns were trialled, the status quo of a morning rehearsal at the beginning of the school day was established. A music gap student in the form of a choral scholar was employed to assist with the logistical side of running the choir and to help supervise the boys on the bus that takes them to Evensong. The school recruited an organ scholar the following year to assist with the training of the probationers, the playing of the organ in chapel, and also to accompany services at the Abbey from time to time.

DCPS is now a full member of the Choir Schools’ Association. The choir continues to sing Evensong four times a week in term time, as well as making occasional Sunday appearances during the course of the year. One adjustment was made when the choir moved to Dean Close: Evensong is now no longer sung on Wednesdays but on Fridays instead, thus enabling the choristers to play a full part in the sporting life of the prep school. Like many cathedral choirs, an annual choir open afternoon is held each year, usually in January. This begins at the school, and continues with the guest singers learning part of the music for Evensong, playing some football, enjoying tea with the choristers, and then making the journey in the chorister bus to the Abbey for the service at the end of the day. During my tenure, we have been blessed with a good number of musical boys coming to this event, and the vocal auditions that have followed have enabled the appointment of choristers from not only within the school, but also from the local area and further afield.

The choir has recorded frequently in recent years, and of note are several highly acclaimed discs made with Delphian Records during the tenure of Benjamin Nicholas as director. In 2014 we have continued this side of the choir’s activities by recording a CD of Christmas carols in February, to be released on the Regent label in the autumn. We are looking forward to collaborating with Regent Records again in the near future.

The performance of regular concerts has played a significant role in the choir’s development, as has taking part in choir tours. For some time, the Schola Cantorum has performed Handel’s Messiah at the end of the Michaelmas term. As a result of being part of DCPS, the boys and gentlemen frequently sing other larger-scale works with the school choral society, the membership of which includes many exchoristers. Works undertaken include Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s Mass in B minor. The choir has also collaborated with other local ensembles and festivals, most notably performing frequently in the Cheltenham Festival each July. It has also toured abroad, with several visits to France and the USA.

It is certainly true to say that the Schola Cantorum is currently in a healthy place. Not only are chorister numbers strong,

Tewkesbury Abbey exterior

but also the presence of choristers in the school as a whole continues to have a significant impact on the music there, both at preparatory and senior levels. The senior school choirs (Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir and Choral Society), which are my responsibility, have a steady supply of young tenors and basses, many of whom go on to hold choral scholarships at university. Choristers from other choral foundations have joined the senior school at 13 and 16, and they have gained hugely from the high standard of choral singing and instrumental music at the school. We have also benefitted from the new 3-manual mechanical action organ which was installed in the school chapel over the summer.

The third portion of my post as Director of Choral Music takes me to the Abbey on Sundays. In the days of the Abbey School choir, the director of the choir exchanged his role with the Abbey’s Director of Music at the weekend – something that continues to this day. Having had an active performing career as an organist in my previous roles, most recently at Winchester Cathedral, it was important to me to find a post where my organ-playing skills were going to be used. On Sundays, I have the pleasure throughout the year of playing for Sung Eucharist in the morning and for Evensong on the fine Milton and Grove organs at the Abbey.

This summer term the choir marked the 40th anniversary of its first Choral Evensong. As always at the final Evensong of term we said our farewells to the leaving choristers, all of whom are moving to the senior school. This year we also

said goodbye and thank you to a long-standing lay clerk, the prep school headmaster and our singing teacher. It was truly wonderful to see so many former members of staff and pupils of the Abbey School filling the beautiful building. It was good also to welcome back so many ex-choristers, lay clerks, and several of my predecessors. As a part of the service, the choir sang the first performance of Laudate Dominum, a celebratory setting of Psalm 150 by Matthew Martin, who is both a former pupil of the Abbey School and of Dean Close School. This special event was very much a celebration of what has been offered and achieved over the past forty years, but it also affirmed the desire of the community to see the continuation of the partnership between the Abbey and Dean Close School, thus enabling daily choral worship to be enjoyed in the Abbey for many years to come.

Simon Bell has been Director of Choral Music at Dean Close School since September 2012, having previously held posts at Winchester Cathedral, Southwell Minster and Westminster Abbey. Simon has a first-class degree from the University of Leeds, holds an MMus from the Royal College of Music, and is a former Limpus prizewinner in the FRCO diploma examination. He has recorded extensively as a soloist and accompanist, and has also broadcast regularly on television and radio both as a conductor and as organist.

Tewkesbury Abbey screen and windows

‘THUS ANGELS SUNG’

A Glorious Gallimaufry

James Bowman

Photo: Tom Kuglin

JAMES BOWMAN

Chorister, Ely Cathedral

Choral Scholar, New College, Oxford

Lay Clerk, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

Lay Vicar, Westminster Abbey

Gentleman-in-Ordinary, HM Chapels Royal, St James’s Palace

As can be seen from the above, I have been involved with music in cathedrals for most of my singing life. This recording, whilst not exclusively devoted to cathedral music, does contain quite a few sacred items which have meant a great deal to me over the years; I wanted to record them before it was too late.

also a singer himself in the cathedral choir, so his input was invaluable.

I have been involved with music in cathedrals for most of my singing life.

The project was suggested to me by Malcolm Archer, who has worked extensively for some years with Convivium Records and who knows the acoustic of Portsmouth Cathedral well. Initially I had my doubts about recording there, because it was not a building I knew at all: I imagined it would be rather noisy, being so close to the Royal Navy depot and to the docks. In fact, it turned out to be the ideal venue with a lovely warm acoustic that seemed to suit my voice and allow it to bloom. We had the luxury of unrestricted access to the building in the evenings, after it was closed to the public. Some of the sessions went on until well after midnight and I recall recording the Britten folksong The trees they grow so high at around 1 am. Recording at that late hour is quite a surreal experience, so detached is it from reality.

I was also very fortunate in the recording team, which consisted of the wonderful sound engineer Adaq Khan, and the incredibly painstaking Andrew King as producer. Nothing seemed to get past Andrew’s razor-sharp ears: every tiny slipup of intonation and pronunciation was seized upon! I have been recording for close on 45 years, and he is the most critical but equally charming producer I have ever encountered. The project was overseen by Adrian Green, who runs Convivium Records from a small office adjacent to the cathedral; he is

Malcolm Archer is, of course, an old friend, which made our collaboration a real pleasure. We first met some years ago before he went to Wells Cathedral, and we kept in touch not least because of my regular visits to Wells to give singing lessons to his choral scholars. I saw little of him when he was so busy at St Paul’s, but we did give a concert together at Stogursey in Somerset, which is his holiday retreat, and it was there that he suggested that he write some songs for me. These came to fruition in a later concert in the lovely church, accompanied by organ, and then at Winchester College with piano accompaniment. When Malcolm proposed this recording it seemed obvious to include these three songs. (The complete work is a cycle of nine carols designed to be sung either liturgically or in concert, accompanied by either piano or orchestra.)

Portsmouth Cathedral . . .

the ideal venue with a lovely warm acoustic that seemed to suit my voice and allow it to bloom.

But what to put with them? After all, I had already recorded most of the Baroque repertoire and I didn’t want this to be just another recital of Purcell and Handel etc etc. Going through my music library (a euphemistic term for the chaotic piles of music in my study), I alighted upon several unusual pieces that I had put aside over the years, thinking how much I liked them but also that they would never fit into a conventional programme. The time seemed appropriate to include them in a programme that needed neither rhyme nor reason. That’s the great joy of working with a small independent company; for too long the big labels have, solely on commercial grounds, been very dictatorial. I remember that in 1976 I wanted to

James Bowman, Andrew King (producer) and Malcolm Archer

Photo: Tom Kuglin

record the hitherto little-known Vivaldi Stabat mater and asked one of the large companies to do this. I was grudgingly given permission and paid a derisory fee, because ‘it will never sell’.

That recording subsequently sold over 300,000 copies in France alone, and it is still selling now, well over 30 years later

I certainly don’t anticipate such sales figures for Thus angels sung, but the content is much closer to my heart. As an excathedral chorister, how could I overlook Tallis and Byrd, here represented by two small gems? O nata lux is a staple item from the repertory, and I must have sung it hundreds of times as a treble, but is nice to treat it on this occasion as a simple solo song. I’m sure Vaughan Williams would have written for countertenor had he lived longer. After all, he loved anything Elizabethan, and the Tallis tune that he immortalised in his Fantasia would have been sung by an all-male choir. It is also wonderful to be able to include old friends by Stanford, Quilter, Attwood and Elgar, plus some lovely Britten and a little grace to be sung before dinner written by my friend Christopher Moore. This and the songs by Malcolm are the only pieces specifically written for countertenor -- all the

James Bowman has given the world première of many important contemporary compositions, including works by Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Peter Maxwell Davies, Richard Rodney Bennett, Robin Holloway, Geoffrey Burgon, Michael Nyman, Alan Ridout and Tariq O’Regan. In May 1996 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and was made CBE in the 1997 Queen’s Birthday honours. He is also an honorary fellow of New College, Oxford and in October 2000 became a Gentleman of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace. More recently, James has been a member of the jury for the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, and during 2009 he was President of the Festival de Wallonie in Belgium. In 2010 he was presented with a Lifetime Award for services to Early Music by the York Early Music Festival. In May 2011 he made his farewell to the London concert platform with a sold-out recital at London’s Wigmore Hall, singing Purcell and Handel. However, he still appears occasionally at venues away from the capital.

Portsmouth Cathedral

Photo: Peter Langdown & the Chapter of Portsmouth

Howard Skempton

Photo: Clive Barda-OUP

THE JOYS OF TEXT

Paul Whitmarsh talks to HOWARD SKEMPTON about compositional techniques, amongst other things

On the face of it, it might seem curious that someone who began writing experimental music in the late 1960s would compose a number of liturgical choral works over thirty years later. But Howard Skempton’s music often defies categorisation and, as he describes to Paul Whitmarsh, these recent pieces have strong and deep roots.

PW You have been composing vocal music consistently since the 1970s, but it is only since the 1990s that choral music, both secular and sacred, becomes a more prominent part of your output. What are the circumstances behind this relatively recent interest in writing for choirs?

HS I composed a carol, To Bethlem did they go, in 1995, and felt confident, for the first time, that my response to a text had been arresting and idiomatic. I was also commissioned by the Oxford University Press Choir to write We who with songs, a setting for choir and organ of some beautiful lines from Flecker’s The Golden Journey to Samarkand. A year later I wrote my Two Poems of Edward Thomas and A Flight of Song, a group of Longfellow settings. These and other factors – the discovery of what might be called a capability, a feeling-at-home with a medium and with tradition perhaps, the encouragement of my new publisher, and the prospect of indulging my passion for poetry – proved an irresistible force.

PW And in the last fifteen years or so, you have composed a number of specifically liturgical works.

HS Yes, and this is largely thanks to Matthew Owens, who commissioned Adam lay y-bounden in 1999 and The Edinburgh Service in 2003. In recent years, I have written both The Wells Service and The Third Service (also for

Wells). I’m particularly proud of two settings Matthew commissioned for the Exon Singers in 2007: Beati quorum via and Ave Virgo sanctissima. Perhaps I raise my game when I write liturgical music! The work has to prove itself within the context of a service.

PW That’s interesting. I wonder what it is that has stimulated such a response from you in these settings? Is it the text, its language and tradition, the purpose of your music in a service, the performance space itself or something else?

HS I was returning to a familiar world. I sang for nearly seven years in the chapel choir at school. When I made a serious commitment to composing at the age of sixteen, I headed straight for the hills of the avant-garde! A steady trickle of commissions in the Nineties certainly boosted my confidence in my technique. Composing Adam lay y-bounden was a reawakening to a tradition that clearly still had strong roots. I was happy to take my cue from the two settings I knew particularly well: the Boris Ord and the Britten (A Ceremony of Carols).

PW Do you have a particular sound in mind when you write for choir? Does this vary from piece to piece?

HS It depends on the choir, but I have an established technique, and the writing tends to be homophonic and the setting, syllabic. I like the music to ‘float’, and the tessitura is usually medium-high.

PW Such a sound is apt and effective in a liturgical context. But it also strikes me that this description could apply to much of your instrumental music (for example, Lento for orchestra, from 1990).

Paul Whitmarsh

Photo: John Goddard

My aim is always to serve the text. I want the words to be heard clearly and to be understood. I love poetry and enjoy looking for texts if encouraged to choose my own. The greater the poetry, the more determined I am to avoid damaging it or diminishing its power. If one approaches the text with sufficient love and respect, one can trust the music to enhance and enliven it. Few things are more satisfying for me as a composer than to achieve this through the most subtle refinement, whether of melody, harmony or rhythm.

music to be lucid and uncluttered. I have described my early works, short and mostly for piano, as chorales, landscapes or melodies. The landscapes were the most experimental, being static and spacious. The chorales were governed by melody and what the Americans call voice leading, but the textures were homophonic. The melodies were fluid rather than dance-like. If my works are lyrical, a major reason would be my curious education as a pianist. My first teacher responded to my evident enthusiasm by allowing me to play what I wanted, so I moved swiftly through Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words before immersing myself in Chopin and finding myself hopelessly out of my depth!

PW Is this focus on melody, homophony and mostly syllabic underlay also an opportunity for the words you are setting to remain prominent? To my ears, the text is always completely comprehensible in your vocal music.

love poetry and enjoy looking for texts if encouraged to choose my own. The greater the poetry, the more determined I am to avoid damaging it or diminishing its power. If one approaches the text with sufficient love and respect, one can trust the music to enhance and enliven it. Few things are more satisfying for me as a composer than to achieve this through the most subtle refinement, whether of melody, harmony or rhythm.

PW You have set a number of standard liturgical texts, in English and Latin, and you also seem drawn to 19thcentury American and English language poets, such as Longfellow, Whitman, Emerson, Shelley, Yeats and Edward Thomas, to name a few. Are there any specific qualities that you look for in a text?

HS I look for clarity and directness. A single archaism might be enough to put me off. The writing must

Exaudi

Photo: Matthew Andrews

have sufficient character to fire the imagination. Vivid language can be most engaging, and multisyllabic words are always interesting to deal with. I’ve enjoyed setting ‘phlegmatical’ (Herman Melville), ‘carbon dioxide’ (D H Lawrence) and ‘irreprehensibilis’ (Locus iste). In choosing a poem, the length is important because I shy away from editing it. Repetition can be magical but I avoid small-scale repetitions. A poem has musical qualities in its flow and metre and I have no right to tamper with those.

PW You mentioned earlier the several pieces you have written for Matthew Owens and the choirs of St Mary’s Edinburgh, Wells Cathedral and the Exon Singers. Your choral music has also been extensively performed and recorded by James Weeks and Exaudi. What is it like for you to have such a strong relationship with conductor, choir and even place, and does it have an effect on the music you write?

HS Matthew inspires confidence through his own confidence that one is up to the job! My two motets for the Exon Singers were written very quickly, within a week or so, and delivered just a few days before the broadcast service in which they featured, as introit and anthem. Such pressure encourages efficiency, of course, but one needs a clear understanding of the occasion, and of the choir, to rise to the challenge. James Weeks and Exaudi are second to none in their performances of the most demanding contemporary music. My own choral pieces look relatively straightforward but James will have none of that! Exaudi make one fully aware of the most demanding, complex aspects of one’s work.

PW What are you composing now and what are you planning to write in the near future?

HS As it happens, the next piece I must write is a Shakespeare setting for an Oxford University Press anthology. I’m also working on a BBC commission for a piano concerto (for an old friend, John Tilbury), and looking forward to setting most, if not all, of Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner for baritone and ensemble. Performance dates have been fixed for both, so the pressure’s on! That said, I doubt if I will be able to resist the invitation to write a short occasional piece, especially if it’s for choir.

Howard Skempton’s music is published by Oxford University Press: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/category/music/composers/skempton.do

Paul Whitmarsh is a composer whose music has been performed at many festivals throughout the UK, including Aldeburgh, Spitalfields, Cheltenham, Deal, Hampstead and Highgate, and the Park Lane Group New Year Series. Commissions include Lullaby for Choir & Organ magazine, premiered by the Joyful Company of Singers; Pealing Out, premiered by the Galliard Ensemble; and Berceuse in a Box for the Cheltenham Festival. Paul teaches composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Wells Cathedral School.

PROFILEWALTON

Education details (school/university):

King Edward VI Grammar School, Stratford-upon-Avon

Royal Northern College of Music

Career details (and dates):

Sydney Nicholson Organ Scholar, Manchester Cathedral (1999 – 2001)

Assistant Organist, Bristol Cathedral (2001 – present)

Were you a chorister, and if so, where? Did you enjoy the experience?

Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Loved it.

What or who made you take up the organ?

I began learning the piano aged 4, and hearing the organ at Holy Trinity made me want to play it. Peter Summers, then Director of Music, agreed to teach me.

You’ve been on several overseas choir tours. Are there particular challenges associated with these? Having to get to grips in a matter of minutes with organs that are unfamiliar / eccentric / less than suited to the Anglican choral tradition / in a precarious state of repair / any combination of the above after many hours on a coach with 30 children!

Of the organs that you played on those tours do any stand out, and why?

Some in Bordeaux that barely survived the experience! The Marktkirche in Hanover is a superb new organ by Goll, and was very rewarding.

How much teaching do you do, and whom do you teach? Mainly young pupils at the moment, but I have taught all ages.

What organ pieces have you been inspired to take up recently?

Francis Jackson’s Sonata Giocosa (for a series of all six Jackson sonatas at Bristol Cathedral).

Have you been listening to recordings of them and if so is it just one interpretation or many and which players?

FJ’s 1994 York recording.

How much conducting do you do?

I direct Bristol Cathedral Consort and Chamber Choir, and conduct the cathedral choir on Tuesdays. I also direct Bristol Phoenix Choir (an adult choral society), which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Have you always been interested in composing and arranging music?

I started in my teens and more recently have written a handful of choral pieces. Hymn arrangements have been a constant and now number about 300. Samples can be found on my website, www.paul-walton.com

What was the last CD you bought?

A disc of Mathias orchestral works.

What was the last recording you were working on?

In an Old Abbey – a disc of English organ music for Regent on the Bristol Cathedral organ for release this summer.

Photo: Derek Walton

What is your

a) favourite organ to play?

Of those played regularly, Bristol Cathedral. Otherwise St Paul’s Cathedral / St Sernin, Toulouse / St Sulpice / St Laurens, Alkmaar / St John the Divine

b) favourite building?

St Sulpice, for both architectural and personal reasons

c) favourite anthem

Either Ireland Greater Love which we had at our wedding, or Harris Faire is the heaven which I want at my funeral

d) favourite set of canticles

Howells St Paul’s Service

e) favourite psalm and accompanying chants?

85 to Bairstow E flat (the one with the dominant minor ninth) / 131 to Willcocks G sharp minor / anything (suitable) to Howells B flat minor

f) favourite organ piece

Varies depending on what’s currently under the fingers – at the moment Bach Passacaglia or David Bednall’s Adagio g) favourite composer Bach, Duruflé, Elgar, Howells or William Walton depending on my mood!

When is your next (or most recent) organ recital? Which pieces are you including?

Gloucester Cathedral. Some Baroque, Bach Praeludium in A minor, three Couperin movements, and some local connections, David Bednall Adagio and David Briggs The Legend of St Nicolas

How do you cope with nerves?

I’ve played so regularly for so long that performance becomes second nature – except on live broadcasts, which are still terrifying. Intense preparation and, when the light goes on, attempting to ignore it and just focusing on the music seems to have worked so far.

What are your hobbies?

Nature photography, running.

Do you play any other instruments?

I played the sleigh bells in a Christmas concert three years ago!

Would you recommend life as an organist?

Yes – to play some of the instruments I’ve played and work with some of the musicians I’ve worked with has been an immense privilege.

What are the drawbacks?

Not everyone always agrees that ‘the labourer is worthy of his hire’! At times, finding the right balance between actually making music and the administration that nowadays goes with it can be a challenge.

Marktkirche in Hanover

Photo: Dirk Rauschkolb

CATHEDRAL MUSIC DURING THE GREAT WAR Timothy Storey

The years between the end of the 19th century and the outbreak of war in 1914 were something of a golden age for cathedral music. In cathedrals established or re-founded at the Reformation, and at the Royal Peculiars of Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, Windsor, it was the norm for Mattins and Evensong to be sung on Sundays and every weekday for most of the year, with (in some establishments) a choral Communion on certain Sundays adding a fifteenth choral service to the weekly round. Only in a very few places did the choir have a regular day off each week.

The chapel choirs of Magdalen College and New College Oxford sang two choral services each day during Term. Even at the cathedrals of Manchester and Ripon, collegiate churches of impressive size and antiquity but not raised to cathedral status until 1836 and 1847 respectively, it was a matter of considerable local pride that the ancient routine was kept up in full with two choral services every day. At the new Roman Catholic Cathedral of Westminster, Mass and Vespers were sung daily by the full choir which, by 1914, had reached the zenith of its quality and fame.

What of those on whom rested the burden of maintaining such a generous programme of choral worship? The Organist and Master of the Choristers (the dual responsibility had become usual) was a skilled professional musician, thoroughly trained in the theory and practice of his craft, whether as the articled pupil of a senior member of the profession or as a student at one of the colleges of music. He would play for most if not all services himself, and might have only a part-time assistant, though his pupils would also take a share of the work. Some organists would regularly be absent on one or more days each week, supplementing their income by examining or teaching or by conducting choral societies in nearby towns.

It was rather more of a full-time job for choirmen, variously known as lay clerks, lay vicars, songmen or vicars choral, and they were paid a salary sufficient to form the nucleus of a modestly good livelihood (between £60 and £120 p.a.). Choristers were also reasonably well looked after and, as a result of Victorian reforms, serious attention was now paid to their welfare and education; sometimes the boys attended the local grammar school, but at many cathedrals there was a school (day or boarding) just for them. The education offered was somewhat basic, with the morning’s lessons interrupted by choir practice and Mattins; the Headmaster (often a

clergyman) would with at best only one assistant somehow manage to teach a couple of dozen choristers across the whole range of ages.

In the autumn of 1914 there was a call for men aged between 19 and 30 to volunteer for military service. There was no exemption for those employed by the Church, and a significant number of younger clergy volunteered for duty as military chaplains. Most Cathedral Organists were too old to volunteer, except for the 27-year-old Henry Ley of Christ Church Oxford. The majority were in their forties or early fifties; important posts were still held by quite elderly gentlemen of whom the most senior were Sir Walter Parratt (73, Windsor) Sir Frederick Bridge (70, Westminster Abbey), Sir George Martin (70, St Paul’s) and Haydn Keeton (67, Peterborough). The Organists of Durham and Wells were both 47 and both in Holy Orders so they were doubly exempt from military duty. Dr Moody of Ripon tried to enlist in 1914, though he had turned 40; rejected for military service, he was given a commission in the 1st Volunteer Regiment, Prince of Wales Regiment.1

Some of the cathedral organists were younger, however, and after the introduction in 1916 of conscription for men under 40, a few became liable for ‘call-up’. Sydney Nicholson of Manchester had volunteered in 1915 under the ‘Derby Scheme’ but by 1916 was too old (41) and was rejected. Charles Hylton Stewart, newly appointed to Rochester, was only 32 in 1916 and was duly conscripted, though he was available for some cathedral duties on Sundays. Rochester’s Assistant Organist had already enlisted in the armed forces, so the weekday services had to be entrusted to Hylton Stewart’s

Charles Hylton Stewart Photo: Rochester Cathedral

20-year-old pupil Hilda Milvain, who remarkably was to assume a similar role at York Minster in another World War, and to a very talented chorister, none other than the future composer and organist Percy Whitlock. Whitlock was recalled to the treble line at the end of the war, though nearly sixteen years old; his experience and skill were still clearly useful in helping the junior choristers recover ground lost as a result of the Organist’s absence.

Among other assistants one might mention Ernest Bullock, subsequently Organist of Exeter Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, appointed Assistant at Manchester Cathedral in 1912, who left for the armed forces in 1914. A somewhat unusual fate befell Percy Hull, Hereford’s assistant, who was on holiday in Germany in 1914. He found himself interned until 1918 at Ruhleben along with several other musicians including Edgar Bainton, the composer of And I saw a new heaven

The cathedral organist might have had to work somewhat harder if his assistant and senior pupils had gone off to the war, but there was always someone who could play the cathedral organ. It was much more a matter of luck whether or not the choir could be kept up to strength; the continued presence of Mr X who had sung in the choir for over thirty years was suddenly a matter of rejoicing rather than regret, for the departure of many of the younger men in 1914 hit some places hard. At Westminster Abbey ‘many of the Lay-Vicars had been called to the Colours, and their places could not be filled. The boys, however, worked splendidly.’2 In several places the situation became much worse after 1916. At Westminster Cathedral only one lay clerk, a bass, remained by 1917, and the last deputy was called up the following year. Ever resourceful and anticipating that many or all services would be ‘boys only’, the organist, Richard Terry, made haste to transcribe the motets for two equal voices by Richard Dering (c. 15801630). Other important foundations were in no better state; at St George’s Windsor only two men remained to sing on weekdays, with another two on Sundays. As elsewhere, the boys carried on nobly.

Though their cathedral duties continued much as before, life for the choristers contained some elements of disruption and adventure; the school at Salisbury was staffed only by the headmaster, some governesses and a boy of sixteen, but the choristers enjoyed growing vegetables and keeping chickens and rabbits to supplement wartime rations. Here and elsewhere there was the excitement of musical and other events to entertain the army. Tragically, there could be the sad news of the death in action of father or brother or, even more poignantly, of those who had been senior fellow choristers. As many as eighteen of York Minster’s former choristers were serving at one time or another; twelve were killed, commemorated by a memorial crucifix in the south transept.

At St Paul’s Cathedral the onset of war had little immediate effect on the choir, as most of the men were too old to volunteer for the armed forces, and the two who did so in August 1914 were simply replaced by permanent deputies.3 The Succentor departed to be a naval chaplain; his deputy introduced a limited amount of new music such as John Ireland’s Morning Service in F, a Communion Service in B flat by the young Henry Ley, and Alan Gray’s imposing Evening Service in F minor for unaccompanied double choir. The repertoire in 1915 remained still recognisably the same as in pre-war years.

Percy Whitlock as choirboy

Photo: Percy Whitlock Society

The Sunday evening service and the special music in Advent had to be cancelled after the imposition of the blackout in 1915, and in November of that year attendance was ‘very badly affected by unpunctuality on the railways. On one day all four basses were absent till the middle of the Te Deum.’4 Two more men (both of them tenors) joined up in February 1916, and deputies were found once again, but a sudden exodus of men in the spring and early summer was met by a different and drastic rearrangement of the music: the music on Mondays and Saturdays was left entirely to the boys,5 with such men as remained attending on the other days. The death in 1916 of the Organist, Sir George Martin, was another blow, though the Sub-Organist Charles Macpherson (40 years old and thus exempt from call-up) was appointed Organist immediately.

The great musical performances on St Paul’s Day and the St Matthew Passion in Holy Week continued unbroken, as did the Festival of the Sons of the Clergy, graced in 1917 by a particularly fine anthem commissioned from Edward Bairstow;6 but the effect on the daily services was most marked. Suddenly a whole new repertoire had to be created for the boys to sing on their own.7 It was an easy matter to select soprano arias from Bach, Handel and Mendelssohn but, most commendably, the boys rapidly learnt anthems expressly written for this medium by contemporary cathedral musicians such as Hugh Blair, Herbert Brewer, Percy Buck and John E. West. Macpherson and Marchant composed several, but the morning canticles were invariably sung to chants, as

were those at Evensong apart from the sporadic appearance of settings by Blair, Lee Williams, Macpherson, Nicholson and West. On one memorable occasion the boys found themselves in the firing line. While they were singing one morning there was a direct hit on the central telegraph office 150 yards from the cathedral; they calmly carried on with the service, and so impressed Dean Inge that he ‘went round to the Choir House to thank the boys for their courage’.8 As a more tangible and doubtless welcome reward, the King’s private secretary presented a cricket catching cradle ‘in recognition of their calmness under fire’.9

At least the daily sung services were continued without interruption, whereas at some cathedrals weekday morning services were reduced in number. At Lichfield and Wells there were still two choral services daily until the late 1930s. Sydney Nicholson described the situation at Manchester thus: ‘The Dean and I talked things over and we decided that it was our job to keep things going somehow. He said then, “If we once let the services go, we shall never get them back again” – a prophecy of which the wisdom has proved only too true in the majority of cathedrals.’10 Nicholson was not impressed by the situation at Westminster Abbey, to whose Organistship he was promoted in 1918. ‘Certain morning services had been made non-choral as a wartime necessity, and we were never able to get them restored. … In this respect it is impossible to free the Dean and Chapter from criticism.’11 Worst of all, at Durham, a wealthy cathedral with a large choir, choral Mattins on weekdays was suspended ‘for the duration’ and reinstated only on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the war.

Under wartime conditions weekday morning choral services had come to seem a luxury which could no longer be afforded everywhere. Price and wage inflation had been severe, and one way of maintaining the value of choirmen’s stipends was to require them to sing at fewer services. As a result of the Fisher Act of 1918, choristers’ education was coming under official scrutiny, with concern expressed about the effect of daily morning services on the school timetable. In the 1920s such bodies as the Cathedral Organists’ Conference and the Church Music Society expressed their concern as to the future of weekday choral services, and a report commissioned by the Archbishops stated unequivocally that the maintenance of daily worship was the first call on a dean and chapter. It might seem that cathedral music had survived the Great War surprisingly well; but to the effects of this war one can attribute the beginnings of those perceived trends and dangers which led to the need for such a body as the Friends of Cathedral Music.

(Footnotes)

1 Beer & Crawshaw, Music at Ripon Cathedral 657-2008 (Ripon, 2008), 128

2 Bridge, A Westminster Pilgrim (London, Novello 1918), 345

3 St Paul’s, Weekly Chapter Minutes,. 8, 12 August 1914

4 ibid. 16 October, 27 November 1915

5 Weekly Chapter Minutes 20 May 1916

6 Lord, thou hast been our refuge, (Novello, 1917)

7 v. infra Appendix 14

8 William R. Inge, Diary of a Dean (London: Hutchinson, 1949), 39

9 Mould, The English Chorister (London, 2007), 250

10 Henderson & Jarvis (eds) Sydney Nicholson and his ‘Musings of a Musician (RSCM, Salisbury 2013), 95

11 Henderson & Jarvis op. cit. 107

Photo: Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral

SPIRES, SHIRE AND

A musical history of Lichfield Cathedral after the Reformation on the eve of its 700th anniversary

CHOIRS Michael Guest

The three medieval spires of the Cathedral of St Mary and St Chad, rising above a compact close fringed with ancient lime walks and framed by Georgian houses, present an undeniably attractive picture, and one which has changed comparatively little in the past three centuries. Residents of the city of Lichfield and citizens of Staffordshire know the spires familiarly as ‘The Ladies of the Vale’ – they are an easily recognised and much loved local and national landmark.

Historically, the cathedral’s setting has not always presented such a tranquil scene. During the English Civil War, the entirely fortified close was a Royalist outpost, and when the city of Lichfield fell to Parliamentarian forces there were no fewer than three sieges there. The consequent physical damage and depredations to both close and cathedral have been well documented, and though much was lost in terms of medieval statuary and furnishings, Lichfield Cathedral was fortunate in that the restorations carried out in subsequent centuries utilised the finest quality materials and workmanship. Today the cathedral showcases magnificent examples of high Victorian ironwork and ceramics, the choir screen and pulpit by Skidmore of Coventry, floor tiles in the quire and presbytery by Minton from north Staffordshire, a notable reredos and other furnishings designed by Gilbert Scott, together with representative work by many other Midlands craftsmen. The organ, a vintage Edwardian instrument by William Hill (with renovation and complementary nave extension by Harrisons in 2000), speaks boldly with a distinctive voice from its position high above the north side of the quire.

Sadly, much of the archival collection from the preCommonwealth period was lost or destroyed in the conflict, and records of the cathedral’s history before the 17th century are far from complete. The first surviving mention of the existence of a choir of men and boys engaged in choral worship dates back to 1315; so plans are now under way for the celebrations around the 700th anniversary of the choral foundation next year.

One of the many challenges facing the cathedral’s musicians after the Interregnum (1649-1660) was undoubtedly the lack of all hand-written and printed music for daily use following its destruction by reformers. But Lichfield was fortunate in numbering among its former choristers the antiquarian and Windsor Herald, Elias Ashmole, whose private collection formed the basis for the Oxford museum which bears his name today. Ashmole generously presented the cathedral in 1661 with a full set of the 10 part books compiled by John Barnard some twenty years earlier, (published under the title The First Book of Selected Church Music). The part books are still acknowledged as essential resources for scholars in the field of Tudor church music, and the seven surviving volumes make up the largest extant set. Currently housed in the cathedral library, they are handsomely bound in leather and inscribed

The cathedral boasted twelve vicars choral, both priest and lay, who dominated the musical life of the city. Housed in the two quadrangles of half-timbered houses known today as Vicars’ Close and Darwin Close, the vicars were a significant element in close society, co-existing for the most part harmoniously with the cathedral chapter but also fiercely independent in terms of managing their own estates, finances and constitutional affairs. This College of Vicars Choral, possessing its own seal and regulating its own corporation, existed until formal dissolution by Act of Parliament in the early 20th century.

From the Chapter Act Books and the muniments of the Vicars much can be discerned about the life and work of the cathedral’s musicians across the centuries. Two colourful characters emerge as being of particular note; one a singer and the other an organist/composer; both were significant figures in the life of cathedral and close in their time.

with the coats of arms of the See of Lichfield and Coventry on one side and Ashmole’s own coat of arms on the reverse.

John Saville was a native of Cambridgeshire and, after life as a chorister and probationary lay clerk at Ely, served as a lay vicar at Lichfield until his death in 1803. He was the possessor of a fine voice with a particular affinity for the works of Handel. A counter-tenor, his prowess led to his appearance as soloist in venues far distant from Lichfield; he appeared regularly on concert platforms in Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Cambridge, Plas Newydd (for the ‘Ladies of Llangollen’) and Manchester. In the latter he is recorded as appearing at a Handel festival held in the city in 1785 and noted as having sung both the alto and tenor arias in Messiah, leading one to surmise that his voice was of the haut-contre genre. Saville also worked in London, appearing in a sequence of Handelian performances there during April 1790, at the theatre we now know as the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden).

Much of what we know about Saville personally comes from the letters of Anna Seward, unmarried daughter of Thomas Seward, a residentiary canon of Lichfield. Anna was a celebrated poet and used her position in close society to promote a range of artistic activities in which the cathedral musicians, particularly Saville, featured notably. Living in The Palace at the eastern end of the close, Miss Seward’s soirées provided a secular musical counterpoint to the choral services in the adjacent cathedral and also to the ‘Smoking Concerts’ promoted by the vicars choral in their hall (now demolished), at the western end of the close.

Anna’s intense and often passionate friendship with John Saville became something of a cause célèbre in contemporary Lichfield society, but there is nothing to indicate that the relationship was other than platonic. Saville’s career continued to flourish, despite a rejected suggestion from the chapter that to avoid possible scandal he seek employment elsewhere. Upon his sudden demise in 1803 Anna Seward was devastated and paid for the elaborate monument to the singer which can be seen in the south transept of the cathedral, composing the elegiac epitaph engraved upon it.

An altogether more mercurial, controversial character, a contemporary of Saville, was the Organist and Master of the Choristers, John Alcock.1 Born in London in 1715, he became a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral and subsequently both pupil and amanuensis to the blind Organist of the Temple, John Stanley. After an unsuccessful attempt to become Organist of Salisbury Cathedral in 17452, which he attributed to an instance of nepotism, he became Vicar Choral, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Lichfield in 1749.3 His music is little known today, but in his own era he was a successful composer of church music, instrumental works and also of glees. One of his most significant contributions is to the history of the Lichfield musical establishment: the publication in 1760 of a novel The Life of Miss Fanny Brown, a clergyman’s daughter which he wrote under the pseudonym ‘John PIPER Esq of Lichfield’. The primary purpose of the book appears to have

John Saville tomb

Frontispiece of a Barnard part book

been Alcock’s attempt to get his revenge upon the members of the cathedral foundation with whom he had fallen out spectacularly. As a work of literature its most significant merit is its thinly veiled satire of cathedral life in an unnamed cathedral close which the discerning reader would have little difficulty in identifying.

John Alcock was a man of firmly held opinions, both of his own talents and of the inadequacies of others. He rarely let an opportunity pass without proclaiming his trenchant views, using for example the prefaces to some of his printed works to criticise cathedral chapters for their apparent disregard of musicians’ work and worth. There were apparently issues to be resolved in the Lichfield choir when Alcock arrived and his forthright, perhaps tactless, approach to rectifying them inevitably led to conflict. Matters came to a head within a decade when a formal petition against him was signed by ten of the vicars (including John Saville) and formally presented to the dean and chapter at the Michaelmas Audit in 1758

The petition details instances of Alcock’s controversial and sometimes outrageous behaviour within services when things were not to his liking. The vicars petitioned the Subchanter to entreat him ‘to play slower or faster as on occasion may require (that) he may not show his contempt or indignation by playing the chants, Services or Anthems so fast that the choir cannot sometimes articulate half the words, or else so slow that their breath will not serve to hold out the long loitering dragging notes’. Even more worryingly, they requested ‘that he may not hereafter mock and mimick with his voice any of the Vicars as he frequently has done ... that he may not show his splenetic tricks upon the organ to expose or confound the Performers or burlesque their manner of singing, that he may not play full where he ought not; or so loud in the verses especially that the softer voices cannot be heard at all...’

The chapter’s response to this petition is not fully recorded, but the petition led to a parting of the ways and by 1760 Alcock had resigned as Organist (for which his salary was a mere £4 per annum), and as Master of the Choristers, for which he had received a further £10 pa, but he retained his freehold tenure as a lay vicar on a salary of £50 pa, together with his right to a rent-free house. He remained a member of the cathedral choir, (though through infirmity was usually represented by a deputy) until 1806 when he died at 11 Vicars’ Close, the largest residence in the quadrangle which he held by virtue of seniority. Released from the responsibility to accompany services and educate the choristers, he found more time for composition and study, submitting material for his doctorate at Oxford by 1766 and publishing several significant collections of sacred and secular music. He held at various times organist’s posts at nearby Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth parish churches, utilising a system of deputies when he was required to be present at twice-daily services in Lichfield. Though socially isolated among his colleagues in the close (possibly due, inter alia, to his strong support for the Tory cause in a close dominated by Whig sympathisers), he cultivated strong friendships with local worthies, becoming Organist to the Earl of Donegal at Fisherwick Park just outside Lichfield, and attracting many members of the gentry and aristocracy as subscribers to his published works.

As the septuacentenary of the Lichfield choral foundation approaches, harmonious working relationships and striving

for musical excellence prevail among those who maintain this long history. Those entrusted with securing the future of our inheritance aspire actively both to preserve our knowledge of the past and to develop the continuing tradition.

(Michael Guest is the Senior Lay Vicar and Intimator at Lichfield.)

Further details about the 2015 celebrations will be available early next year from the cathedral website www.lichfield-cathedral.org. A comprehensive archive of material relating to the Choral Foundation can be accessed at www.cathedralchoir.org.uk.

(Footnotes)

1 I am indebted to Dr Peter Marr for the biographical details contained within his PhD thesis on Alcock (University of Reading 1978).

2 Alcock had previously held organist’s posts in Plymouth, St Andrew (1737-42) and Reading, St Lawrence 1742-8).

3 Traditionally the Organist and Master of the Choristers had by statute to be installed as a Lay Vicar and was, in theory at least, required to sing in the choir whenever services were without organ. Ambrose Porter was the last Lichfield OMC to be installed as tenth Lay Vicar, the requirement being removed from statutes after 1958.

TWENTY YEARS AFTER Girl choristers - where would Cathedrals be without them?

Geoffrey Coker

More than two decades have passed since girl choristers were first admitted into the ancient choral foundation of Salisbury Cathedral, with many other English cathedral choirs admitting girls since then. The merits or otherwise of this are still actively discussed, and sufficient time has elapsed that it is now possible to observe some of the results of this initiative; have aspirations been achieved? Have concerns been allayed or reinforced? Have there been any unanticipated outcomes?

Because I was a parish choirboy, and later a lay vicar at Lincoln Cathedral and a choral scholar at King’s College Cambridge, I have always been interested in cathedral music. I now live

in New Zealand, which has its own distinctive and developing cathedral music tradition, but I make a point of attending English cathedral services on my frequent visits to the UK. My viewpoint is therefore that of one who has experienced and who understands the English cathedral tradition from within, but who now observes it with an emotional connection yet physical detachment. The involvement of girl choristers into this choral tradition has interested me from the start, and since 2010 I have been interviewing cathedral music directors. From these interviews, together with those granted me in 1991 by both Dr Richard Seal, who was about to audition the first group of girls at Salisbury, and Dr Dennis Townend, who introduced girls into the choir of St Mary’s Cathedral in

Photo: NZ School of Music

Edinburgh in 1970, I have gained some insight into the hopes and aspirations of those who first advocated girl choristers, and how these aspirations might line up with present reality.

Early concerns about the introduction of girls into cathedral choirs centred round tonal quality, the effect on the recruitment and retention of boy choristers, and a potential reduction in the opportunities for boys to sing. Motivation for the introduction of girls came from both a pragmatic approach in cathedrals where it was proving difficult to recruit sufficient boys, and an ideal of fairness and parity in those cathedrals which had robust and viable choral foundations.

century boys with their 16th, 17th or 18th-century counterparts when making the claim that early composers expected a ‘boys’ sound’? Did the treble singing ‘Once in royal David’s city’ at the King’s College carol service in 1918 sound the same as the treble in 2013? Clearly not, and recordings of this choir reveal that the tone of the boys varied over relatively short periods of time, even in the same building. Surely therefore it is impossible to draw a definite conclusion as to which modern sound best represents the boys’ sound of previous centuries.

It is, however, quite possible to undertake a more objective investigation of some of the other issues. From August 2012 until April 2013 I conducted an online survey of former choristers of those UK cathedral and collegiate choirs with ‘cathedral music’ programmes which included daily services. The survey attracted 90 responses, a high number for this type of survey although (arguably) few enough to allow a large margin of error when results are extrapolated. However, I interpreted the results of the survey in the light of information received from the interviews, and from the published opinions of many of the stakeholders of the cathedral music tradition.

It was interesting to discover the high level of involvement of former girl choristers in the broader area of governance centring round cathedral music.

66% of the women, most of whom would have been choristers since 1991, felt that they were in a personal position to promote cathedral music compared with 48% of all the men, or 35% of those who had been choristers since 1991.

Tonal quality is a subjective area. Even if acoustic analysis confirms that certain groups of girls do not sound like certain groups of boys, how is one to compare the sound of 21st-

32% of all the men and 14% of women felt that they were able to promote cathedral music from a professional position.

More than two decades have passed since girl choristers were first admitted into the ancient choral foundation of Salisbury Cathedral, with many other English cathedral choirs admitting girls since then.

Winchester Girls’ Choir in concert

Photo: JimPascoe.co.uk

The most interesting result was arguably for those who felt that they were in a professional situation to influence the funding of cathedral music; 11% of men, and 14% of women. While more than half of the male respondents were choristers before 1991, almost all the woman will have been choristers since then, meaning that this is a relatively young female cohort, and so this percentage will probably increase, while the figure for men already covers all ages. I feel this shows that former girl choristers are playing a significant part in the viability of cathedral music, from the point of view of public awareness, recruitment, and financial support.

Since access to educational opportunity (both musical and general, and beyond the time in the choir) is often considered to be a benefit of choristership, and features extensively in recruitment material, the survey included questions about participants’ post-choristership educational experiences.

82% of boy choristers attended a choir school compared with 100% of the girl choristers responding. Since 1991 the figures are 93%, and 100% respectively. Although the sample was relatively small, it does appear that a choir school education is slightly more common than a few decades ago (or that those choristers who attended a choir school have a continuing interest in cathedral music), and it also is possible to assume that the opportunity to attend a choir school has become more of a factor when considering a choristership. Is this due to the advent in 1991 of the government’s Choir School Scholarship Scheme, which helped to reduce the financial commitment needed to attend a choir school?

31% of all ex-choristers surveyed received music or choral scholarships for their secondary education, and since 1991 the percentage for boys has been 67% compared with 33% for former girl choristers for the same period.

33% of all respondents received organ or choral scholarships at their universities. Since 1991 the numbers have been 36% of men and 27% of women.

While these percentages are not large, they must be read against the fact that not all former choristers are seeking further education of this type. There is, however, a large enough perceptible cohort to indicate a ‘success trajectory’ beginning with a choristership.

It was interesting to see the contribution that former choristers are making to the general music environment. 52% of the former choristers are involved in professional musical performance, 6% of women and 19% of men full-time, and 53% of women and 32% of men part-time.

Professional music administration accounts for 25% of former choristers; 10% of men full-time and 16% part-time, with 20% of women part-time. The figures are very similar for professional music teaching, with slightly fewer women being involved in this. Church music leadership also had similar results, with slightly more men involved part-time.

Former choristers are also continuing to sing within the church music environment. A fifth of the men and half of the women are now singing in a cathedral or chapel choir, but these figures become almost the same for men and women if only post-1991 choristers are considered. The latter result must be read against the background of lack of opportunity for adult sopranos to sing within the type of cathedral tradition being reviewed. However, a large number of women who answered the survey are of an age at which they could be singing at present in university chapels.

4% of both men and women are singing professionally in secular choirs full-time, while half of the women and onethird of the men are singing part-time in professional choirs.

One result of the survey which may appear to be counterinstinctive is that more than half (56%) of respondents had no previous family involvement in cathedral music – this was consistent for men and women, and for different choristership

Salisbury Cathedral Girls

periods. An encouraging reading of this would suggest that it shows a continuing growth in the stakeholder base, and a success in recruitment beyond the obvious and immediate networks developed through the cathedral choirs themselves. Another favourable reading could relate to Christian outreach; choirs are attracting an increasing number of families wishing to be involved in a church activity. It seems clear that the number having no previous family connection cannot be directly attributed to the advent of girl choristers since it is the same as for boy choristers before this time.

After observing the general enthusiasm of former choristers, it is thought-provoking to find that 7% would not consider putting their child forward for a chorister audition, and a further 24% were undecided. This seems to imply that nearly a third of those surveyed had some reservations about choristerships. These were people who had kept enough of a connection with cathedral music to be aware of the survey, but there could be many more who are no longer within the wider network and did not know of the survey. A slightly higher number of those answering no or maybe did not attend a choir school, and 45% of these answers came from those who were choristers before 1991 compared with only 15% since. Although the question was intended as hypothetical, some may have answered ‘no’ because N/A was not given as an option. There could, of course, be a number of nonmusical factors prompting such answers, including issues of travel, boarding, and the weekend commitment involved – the survey did not investigate motive.

In the preamble to the survey I invited participants to email me direct if they wished to add information or comment on the survey. I received three responses, showing enormous enthusiasm on the part of the writers for cathedrals and their music. These responses also pointed me to areas of investigation for my wider research which I had not previously considered.

Conclusions

While the response to this survey was too limited to be considered very representative, it does reinforce the fact that there is an enthusiastic group of former choristers, some of whom are able and, importantly, motivated to continue their support of cathedral music by participation, and also through administration and governance. I feel that this indicates a potentially robust and healthy future.

Former choristers make up a large proportion of ‘cathedral music stakeholders’. Within this survey, former girl choristers show up as playing serious roles in public relations and in governance within the cathedral music environment, which raises the question as to whether the present level of active support for traditional cathedral music would have been possible without them.

Beyond the survey, it can be argued that girl choristers have potentially increased the recruitment of choristers fourfold. Firstly, by their own inclusion; secondly, because the inclusive nature of choirs will have made the government’s Choir Schools’ Fund politically viable which has, in turn, (thus, thirdly) made it possible to include not only girls, but also (fourthly) boys for whom a choristership was not previously possible. Choirs which do not include girls have therefore benefitted from the fact that girls have been accepted into other choirs.

Arguably, because boys’ choirs are not as representative of the general population, they would not have been involved so readily in the ‘Sing up!’ programme for schools which has increased the relevance of cathedral choirs within their communities. (It should of course also be remembered that some of the issues dealt with in this article – such as the contribution of the Choir Schools’ Scholarship Scheme –only apply in England.) Finally, while every music foundation has its own unique features, I believe that the success of the movement to include girls in many cathedral choirs has helped raise the profile of, and support for, cathedral music

4% of former boy and girl choristers sing full-time in secular choirs such as Stile Antico (pictured) © Marco Borggreve

THE GUILD OF CH

The Early Days

In the Church Times of 20th November 1888, the following letter was published:

Many of your readers will be glad to know that a movement is on foot to establish a Church Choir Guild. The names of several eminent musicians figure on the Council, and there are still a few vacancies to be filled. The Guild will have its centre in London and it is hoped that provincial choirs will avail themselves of the opportunity of enrolment with this admirable institution. That there is plenty of scope for a Guild of this description, no one who has been brought into contact with music generally can for a moment doubt, and it now only remains for the clergy and choirmasters to give their co-operation to this useful scheme.

I have been asked to write the regulations and rules for the guidance and control of church choirs in co-operation with the central body. This I have just completed and I shall be very pleased to correspond with any clergy or organist who is interested in the matter. J.H

Lewis

35, Wellington Street, Strand. WC.

This letter appears to be the start of what was originally the Church Choir Guild which eventually evolved into the Incorporated Guild of Church Musicians and which in 1905 became a company limited by guarantee.

One of the signatories to the Articles of Association was James Henry Lewis of Twickenham, who was instrumental in gaining the support of Dr Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury and uncle of William Temple, together with Sir George Elvy who had just retired from his post as Organist

and Master of the Choristers at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. These became the Founder Patrons.

During the Second World War, most of the Guild’s records were destroyed in a bombing raid on the house of the then General Secretary. The Company Seal of the Guild appeared in a secondhand shop some years after the cessation of hostilities and was fortuitously returned to the Council!

Despite certain criticisms and attacks on the Guild during and after the war, the Guild gained in the respect of its peers, and the late Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher (who served as Archbishop 1945-61) became its patron, thereby renewing the link made in 1888 by his predecessor Dr Frederick Temple.

Publications

Judith Page was asked to edit a new publication, Laudate, and so in 1956 the Guild’s magazine was born. The cover was designed by Arthur Dobb, who was an architect before taking Holy Orders, and was a superb calligrapher and designer. The cost of Laudate was included in a £2 rise in the annual subscription. It has grown from strength to strength and under the current Editor, Michael Walsh, is considered a firstrate publication, full of information, interesting articles, and photographs. There are three editions a year together with the Yearbook, which Michael also edits.

The first Guild newsletter was published under the editorship of Stephen Butler in 1985, with two issues that first year. They were far less ambitious than the present newsletter, but provided a link between the Council and the membership.

The first publication of any substance was The Psalms in Today’s Worship by Revd David Parkes, an examiner in Christian worship.

Examinations

Originally, the examinations of the Guild were Associate, Licentiate and Fellowship, each with its appropriate academic hood. There was also the Honorary Fellowship, which was awarded to those who had served either the Guild or the cause of church music or theology with distinction. Successful candidates were allowed to append the letters AIGCM, LICGM or FIGCM after their name.

The Guild’s mission is to encourage all musicians within the church, whether amateur or professional, to foster the highest attainable standards of music in the worship of Almighty God.

John Ewington, Administrative Secretary and General Secretary Emeritus, examines how the Guild came about, and how its work has changed over the past 125 years.

U RCH MUSICIANS

A Preliminary Certificate for organists and choirmasters was introduced in 1965, when candidates had to demonstrate a basic practical ability in musicianship relevant to the life of the church. This certificate was revived in 1983 by Stephen Butler for the Manchester course which he was running at the time.

Arthur Dobb, the calligrapher, and Alan Luff wrote several examination self-help books entitled ‘Guidelines’. The subjects of these ranged from hymnology to various aspects of the Book of Common Prayer (it was of course before Series 1, 2 and 3 were introduced). Arthur Dobb and John Ewington then co-authored Landmarks in Church Music and Liturgy, a popular book which is splendidly illustrated by Arthur and is full of useful notes on all aspects of church music and liturgy.

In 1961 a new examination was launched: the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Certificate in Church Music (ACertCM). Dr Geoffrey Fisher, the then Archbishop, hoped that this certificate would in time become the accepted minimum qualification for all church organists and choirmasters as well as singers in choirs.

It consisted of four parts:

Part 1 General Musicianship (minimum Grade 5)

Part 2 Practical: the candidate’s ability to show their skills within the context of a church service or choir rehearsal

Part 3 A written paper on Christian worship and

Part 4 A written paper on the history of church music

The practical Part 2 was usually examined by a cathedral organist or some other person of similar distinction in the candidate’s own church. The Archbishop and the Guild Council each appointed an examiner for Parts 3 and 4 respectively.

The Guild undertook the task of administering and examining for this new qualification on the understanding that its own qualifications were put on hold.

In 1988, the Guild’s centenary year, John Ewington asked Dr Robert Runcie if he could invite the Roman Catholic Cardinal, Basil Hume, to be a joint patron. This was readily agreed and the title of the examination was made inclusive simply by relocating the apostrophe, thus: the Archbishops’ Certificate in Church Music. Cardinal Hume often said, “I am the apostrophe!”

And so with this simple move a whole new phase in the history of the Guild was opened, although even today there are not as many RC candidates or members as we should like. However, the annual Presentation of Certificates and honorary awards is alternately hosted by the Archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster. These occasions are very moving events especially for the successful candidates and their supporters.

Originally the insignia worn by those who had gained the ACertCM was a bronze medallion, but the company which manufactured them went out of business and another manufacturer was difficult to find. The Council therefore decided that successful candidates should wear a simple academic hood, which is now part of the normal dress.

In 2005 the Archbishops’ Certificate in Public Worship was introduced. This was the brainchild of the General Secretary, John Ewington, who discovered when looking back through some very old Yearbooks that there had been an examination specifically for clergy. This was widened to include all those who lead public worship, whether they be ordained or lay. The meeting of General Synod at which it was launched was attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury, several bishops and other members of Synod.

The Archbishop’s Award was introduced in 1994. This is the practical part of the ACertCM and is designed to recognise the practical skills of candidates who may find the paperwork of the ACertCM too daunting.

The Academic Board of the Guild regularly looks at and amends, where it is thought necessary, all the examinations.

The ACertPW syllabus has recently been completely revised by a team from Mirfield under Fr Peter Alan, CR, Principal of the College of the Resurrection. The ACertCM is shortly to undergo a similar revision.

The Guild has many Corporate Members, mainly cathedral choirs or public schools, who enter their pupils for either the Preliminary Certificate or the Archbishop’s Award.

Overseas, the Guild’s strong presence in Australia is centred around Newcastle and Sydney. The University of Newcastle NSW has entered many candidates for the Certificate examinations over the years. A number of the Council visited Australia in 2004 to meet the key people and enjoyed amazing hospitality, including access to many of the great organs (at the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Town Hall, and several cathedrals).

Intrepid travellers that they are, many of these people became firm friends and will often come to the UK for the AGM and annual one-day Conference, which is held at a UK cathedral. The centenary service and the 125th anniversary service were both held in Canterbury Cathedral, where a number of wellknown church musicians composed works specially for the occasion and were present to conduct them. A choir of some 80 singers was raised for each occasion. In 2015 the conference and AGM will be in Oxford on 1st and 2nd May.

Thus the Guild, the oldest surviving body concerned with church music and liturgy in the world, continues to flourish. Enquiries from all interested people who support the cause we foster are

church in the Aldgate ward of the City of London. The parish existed as early as 1108, when it was served by the Augustinian Holy Trinity Priory, also known as Christ Church, which was founded by Maud, King Henry I’s Queen. The parishioners used the priory church but this proved unsatisfactory, so the prior partially resolved the problem in 1280 with the foundation of St Katharine Cree as a separate church. The church took its name from the priory, ‘Cree’ being a corrupted abbreviation of ‘Christ Church’. Initially the incumbent was a canon appointed by the prior, but in 1414 the church was established as a parish church in its own right.

St Katharine Cree is regarded as one of the most significant churches of the Jacobean period (1603-25), a time when church building was at an historically low ebb, and is the only Jacobean church to have survived in London. It has a handsome if somewhat inconsistent interior (a unique mixture of Classic and Gothic architecture), with a high nave separated from the narrow aisles by arcades supported on Corinthian columns. The identity of its architect is unknown.

the City livery companies, dates mostly from the restoration of 1962. The chancel has a fine rose window, reputedly modelled on the much larger rose window of Old St Paul’s Cathedral (lost in the Great Fire). The stained glass, depicting a catherine wheel, is original, dating from 1630, and the font dates from around 1640.

The organ, originally built by Father Smith in 1686, was variously rebuilt, most notably by Father Willis in 1866. It was restored in 2003 and is housed in a fine Gibbons case. Handel and Purcell both played on the instrument, which still retains some of its outstanding 17th-century pipework.

The church is Grade I listed, having survived the Great Fire of 1666, the Second World War (with some damage to the roof) and the Baltic Exchange bomb of 1992, which blew out the central part of the 17th-century east window. But it is the way that the church has served the City that marks it out. After the Great Fire, St Katharine Cree remained standing and was used by the livery companies to serve food to the workers as the company halls were rebuilt. Today the building retains its role as a sanctuary to those who live and work nearby.

St Katharine Cree nave

Photo: Rex Harris

St Katharine Cree Window

Photo: Rex Harris

BOOK REVIEW

SYDNEY NICHOLSON AND HIS ‘MUSINGS OF A MUSICIAN’

Edited by John Henderson and Trevor Jarvis

Published by the RSCM

(available from the RSCM and also from Amazon)

It would be very hard indeed to exaggerate the interest and importance of this book to those interested in the history and background of the RSCM and the church in general. Not only does it provide an enormous amount of fascinating detail concerning Sir Sydney Nicholson’s life and work: it paints a detailed picture of the state of church and cathedral music in the first half of the twentieth century, and also the state of the society at the time. The book is collated by the same authors as its companion volume, Sydney Nicholson and the College of St Nicolas: The Chislehurst Years, and provides a wealth of hitherto unpublished photographs and some of Nicholson’s own watercolour paintings. Also included is the first publication of his anthem My song is love unknown. There is fascinating insight into the remarkable man’s life and achievements, especially his earlier career serving at Westminster Abbey and the cathedrals in Carlisle and Manchester. With supplementary and numerous appendices, including a complete list of his compositions, this is a valuable resource book of Nicholson’s life and times.

In a brief review such as this it is difficult to say enough without saying too much and spoiling the fun of reading the

original text for oneself, but there were several questions that immediately occurred to me:

• What was Nicholson’s opinion of the three Oxford choirs during his time at New College?

• What were his experiences and opinions of the clergy with whom he worked?

• Why did he turn down his appointment to Canterbury in order to go to Manchester? (echoes of Samuel Sebastian Wesley here!)

• How did the Great War affect English Church Music?

• Why did Nicholson despair of the state of the Abbey music when he took it over?

• What made him resign in July 1927?

• When and where and why was the School of English Church Music located and founded? And when did it move?

• What publication did Nicholson originate?

• What were the principal causes of the foundation of the Royal School of Church Music in 1945?

Nicholson’s death in May 1947, a great blow to many, was probably the result of two strokes and considerable overwork

– he was a mere 72. As Church Music magazine said: ‘No loss can mean as much to the RSCM as does the death of its founder and director, Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson.’

John Henderson and Trevor Jarvis have produced the most significant book on the subject of English church music and musicians possibly ever. Dear Reader, be sure to get your copy as a matter of urgency – it is bound to sell out once people realise its significance and value.

David Lumsden

DVD REVIEWS

THE GRAND ORGAN OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL

James Lancelot

PRIORY PRDVD12 (includes Blu-ray & standard format discs) + stereo CD recorded in 16.9 widescreen PAL colour, with 5.1 surround sound £28

Percy Whitlock Paean

J S Bach Fantasia and Fugue in G minor BWV 542

John Stanley Andante Largo (Voluntary in D, Op. 6 No 5) (‘Trumpet Voluntary’)

F J Haydn Three pieces for musical clocks (Nos 4, 13 and 25)

Josef Rheinberger Sonata 7 in F minor Opus 127

C V Stanford Preludes Op. 101 nos 5 & 6

César Franck Pièce héroïque

Louis Vierne Intermezzo (Symphony No 3 in F sharp minor, Opus 28)

Marcel Dupré Placare Christe Servulis (Le Tombeau de Titelouze) Op. 38 No 16

Jehan Alain Deux Danses à Agni Yavishta, Litanies

Naji Hakim Mariales

Henri Mulet Carillon-Sortie

The magnificence of Durham Cathedral is superbly reflected in the twelfth of Priory’s English Cathedral organ series in a recital given by its present Master of Choristers and Organist James Lancelot. The distinctive tonal colours of the instrument, originally built by Father Willis in 1876, restored and revoiced in 1905 by Harrison & Harrison with further work in 1970, are superbly captured by Paul Crichton. The video presentation by Richard Knight is highly impressive and embraces not only the organ and architecture of the cathedral but also includes cutaways to the Beamish and Chinese Museums which enhance both music and dialogue.

The general video menu is clear and straightforward. It certainly might be advisable to skip immediately to the bonus section and play ‘The Programme’ rather than ‘Play Recital’. Here James Lancelot explains in an informal and extremely personable manner his reasons for the choice of pieces, especially taking into account that Durham can boast very few composers and that there are no specific musical links with the city or cathedral in the recital. The articulate and convivial narration of the extensive ‘Organ Tour’ alongside the video footage is most enlightening.

The eclectic choice of programme demonstrates not only the more powerful stops on the instrument but also serves as a vehicle to reveal the organ’s beautiful and subtle tonal qualities. Whitlock’s Paean is an excellent choice of beginning as it allows the Tuba to be heard in all its glory, whilst a romantic interpretation of the Stanley Voluntary illustrates the versatility of the Reed division. The diversity of repertoire

allows ample opportunity for exploration of the numerous timbres available on the instrument, although some might prefer the more substantial works. Within the bonus section there is a demonstration of the house organ and the story of ‘The Miner’s Hymn’ (which is also performed). Then César Franck’s Pièce héroïque is analysed in great detail; the construction of the work is illuminated, and Franck’s economical use of musical material is well demonstrated. Extremely imaginative is the video production: the screen is frequently split into four, allowing both player and console to be viewed from different perspectives whilst also enhancing James Lancelot’s fluent audio description.

James Lancelot’s enthusiasm, admiration and love of the instrument permeate the disc. The great strengths of the recital are probably his flawless technique (although there are times when some of the performances might have benefited from more measured tempi) and Richard Knight’s highly imaginative and superlative video production. Both Callum Ross and the executive producer, Neil Collier, deserve much praise for this all-round splendid disc. The recital should appeal to a very wide audience.

David Thorne

THE GENIUS OF CAVAILLÉ-COLL FUGUE STATE FILMS

FSFDVD007 – 3 DVDs, 2 CDs

DVDs recorded in 16.9 widescreen PAL colour and 5.1 surround sound and Dolby 2 stereo Winner of Best DVD Documentary, BBC Music Magazine Awards 2014

Available from fuguestatefilms.co.uk, £68.50

The centrepiece of this lavish boxed-set is a three-part, 156-minute documentary about Cavaillé-Coll’s life and work. Two further DVDs include demonstrations of fifteen organs and more than three hours of music (all recorded in full surround sound). Two CDs feature a survey of French organ music from 1830 to 1900. An 80-page booklet contains specifications and colour photos of all the organs, track details and an introductory essay.

Some might question why a review devoted to the French organ builder, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, would feature in a magazine aimed more towards English cathedral music. However, it is more than conceivable that had it not been for Cavaillé-Coll, many of the finest English cathedral organs and especially those built by ‘Father’ Willis would not be enhancing worship in many of our cathedrals today (Willis visited France in 1848 and 1849, meeting CavailléColl and being much influenced by his work). It should also be taken into consideration that during the past thirty years the performance of the great French mass settings of Vierne, Widor and Langlais have become probably of more significance in this country than in France. A comprehensive set of DVDs and CDs such as this gives great insight into the importance of the role of the organ within the French liturgy as well as in a more secular field.

DVD 1 The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll

A film divided into three sections with an introduction, a

biography and a timeline of Cavaillé-Coll’s work throughout the 19th century. It highlights C-C’s significant role in resurrecting the French organ tradition from a pretty low state at the beginning of the century through to the present day, and then covers the legacy he left and his considerable influence on both organists and composers. The excellent presentation is by Gerard Brooks, international concert organist and Director of Music at Methodist Central Hall, who is acclaimed as a highly accomplished interpreter of the French repertoire and a leading expert on the tradition. There are also contributions from Kurt Leuders, organist at the Reformed Church of the Holy Spirit in Paris, and Ronald Ebrecht, artist in residence and University Organist at the Wesleyan University. Whilst organists might be captivated by Leuders’ expertise, the general viewer might find Ebrecht’s easier style rather more appealing. Carolyn ShusterFournier, titulaire at Sainte-Trinité in Paris, makes a number of appearances as both contributor and performer, notably towards the end of the second DVD.

DVD 2 The Organs of Cavaillé-Coll

This explores fourteen organs built by Cavaillé-Coll and his son and includes instruments in Paris at St Sulpice and Notre Dame, St Ouen in Rouen, the Basilica of St Sernin in Toulouse and St Rémy in Selongey. The examples are extremely wideranging and serve as a masterclass in the performance and interpretation of the French Romantic repertoire. The duration of this disc is over 200 minutes, and features pieces by, for example, Franck, Liszt, Widor, Guilmant and Boëllmann. The Liszt Fantasia and Fugue on ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem’, as an example, is played superbly by Thomas Monnet in St Maurice de Bécon, Courbevoie.

DVD 3 After Cavaillé-Coll

Here are further performances on the organs of Orléans Cathedral, St Sernin, Toulouse and St Denis, St Sulpice and Notre Dame in Paris. Daniel Roth’s demonstration of the organ in St Sulpice, including improvisations, extends to over 23 minutes, and as in some of the other demonstrations, viewers without a specific technical interest might care to skip tracks. Combined with an ‘extra’, which serves as advertising material for other releases by the company, the running time is virtually 140 minutes.

The two CDs feature performances by nine organists. The superbly illustrated and highly informative booklet written by the director, Will Fraser, emphasises that ‘all the organs were recorded by the same engineer using the same approach, so that the listener can compare the organs and chart not only the development of Cavaillé-Coll’s approach to organ

building, but also the development of French organ music as a result of the influence of these organs.

The DVDs are in 5.1 surround sound or in Dolby 2 stereo, and subtitles are available in English, French and German. The viewer can choose from various on-screen options to watch either recitals or demonstrations. The primary purpose of the film is didactic and illustrates the organs and its players, but there is no shortage of material revealing the magnificence of the architecture of many of the imposing buildings. The camera work is deliberately static but captures all essential moments relating to registration, manual changes and general interpretation. Although the DVDs are not available in Bluray, if enough interest is shown in this magnificent project it is possible that the set might well be issued in this format at a future date, which would enhance the picture quality. If this came to fruition, a clearer and less cluttered navigational interface would be beneficial.

The set is really a ‘must’ for any organist or organ enthusiast, but would serve equally well as an educational tool for teachers and performers inspired by the French tradition. £70 is a small price to pay for the wealth of material and detail included within the five discs. The DVDs and CDs truly reflect the traditions of French organ design, composition and performance within the 19th century, and Will Fraser, David Hint and Simon Still at Fugue State Films deserve much praise and gratitude for a most exciting, stimulating and informative project.

David Thorne

CD REVIEWS

CHORAL CDs

MUSIC FOR SALZBURG CATHEDRAL

W. A. Mozart

Choir of New College, Oxford

Dir: Edward Higginbottom

Collegium Novum

Litaniae Lauretanae K195; Sonata in C K329; Vesperae de Dominica K321. NOVUM NCR1388 TT 63:10

This excellent recording of music composed by Mozart in the 1770s serves as a fitting tribute to Edward Higginbottom who has recently retired as Director of Music at New College Oxford, a post he has held since 1976. The choir is in top form and accompanied most sensitively by Collegium Novum, a group of instrumentalists specialising in early music.

The CD notes explain all the historical facts about the music. Edward Higginbottom also writes an interesting article on the conductor’s perspective of the recording, such as his reason for not using trombones, which were normally used to support the vocal lines.

Women’s voices were forbidden in Salzburg Cathedral in Mozart’s day, and one of the special features about this recording is that the soloists are taken from the boys and young men who form the Choir of New College. Inigo Jones sings the treble solos superbly throughout. The Sancta Maria of Litaniae Lauretanae is an excellent example of this. The tenor Guy Cutting also deserves special praise for his singing in the Regina angelorum from the same work. The brief Church Sonata in C separates the two choral works, and is scored for strings, oboe, brass and timpani in addition to the organ. There is a definite festive air about the music which is uplifting.

The Vesperae de Dominica are settings of psalms sung during Vespers ending with the Magnificat. The use of trumpets and timpani again brings a festive mood. The Magnificat in particular features musical ideas which Mozart subsequently used in his mature operas. The music is beautifully performed and the CD is thoroughly recommended.

Paul Morgan

AMERICAN DECLARATIONS

St Louis Chamber Chorus

Dir: Philip Barnes

Dudley Buck Hymn to Music; Miklós

Róska The Lord is my shepherd; Wallingford

Riegger Evil shall not prevail; William Schuman Declaration chorale; Melissa Dunphy What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach? Ulysses Kay A Lincoln Letter; U2 arr Bob Chilcott MLK; arr William Dawson There is a balm in Gilead; Sven Lekberg Lament; Stephen Paulus Stabat mater; Roy Harris Symphony for Voices; Howard Helvey Sunset: St Louis

REGENT REGCD 414 TT 78:41

A remarkable CD – I found the programme absolutely gripping, and indeed have given the disc several outings. Some of the composers were previously known to me, but not a note of the music, and it has been a most pleasurable voyage of discovery. The St Louis Chamber Chorus is a group numerically somewhere between a chamber choir and a symphony chorus. They are a finely trained and tuned body of singers, and relish the ability to colour the music with a wide and exciting dynamic range. Philip Barnes has been their conductor since 1989 and he has a splendidly flexible ensemble to work with.

Barnes and his chorus are totally on top of this repertoire, and listening to their persuasive way with the music is a tonic. The styles of the composers presented here give one a necessarily narrow overall view of American choral music, but there is music to challenge, and there is music that is readily approachable. There are also some challenging texts. What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach? could not be more powerful even before Melissa Dunphy’s music further illuminated the words. Similarly Abraham Lincoln’s so eloquent letter to a mother whose five sons had been killed in action; this is memorably set by Ulysses S. Kay.

Stephen Paulus was commissioned by the chorus to write a companion setting of the Stabat Mater to Palestrina’s, also scored for double choir. I hope Paulus’s setting will take this side of the ‘pond’ – it certainly deserves to. That and Roy Harris’s Symphony for Voices are the two most substantial pieces on this CD.

When I put this disc on for the first time, I had no clear idea of what I was going to hear. Since then I’ve returned to it and found more and more to admire and enjoy. I hope that it will have that effect on you.

Roger Judd

THUS ANGELS SUNG

James Bowman (Countertenor), Malcolm Archer (Organ & Piano)

Gibbons The Song of Angels; Christopher Moore Oculi omnium; Farrant Hide not thou thy face; Archer Sion’s Daughter; Ireland The Holy Boy (piano); Byrd My sweet little darling; Pettman I saw a maiden; Cyril Scott Lullaby (piano); Archer

Three Songs (written for James Bowman); Clucas Evenfall; Vaughan Williams Dirge for Fidele; The Call; Britten The trees they grow so high; Stanford The rain it raineth every day; Quilter How should I your true love know?; Elgar Where corals lie; Tallis O nata lux; Britten Corpus Christi Carol; Attwood Turn Thy face from my sins; Come, Holy Ghost. CONVIVIUM RECORDS TT 56:00

‘Thus angels sung, and thus sing we; / to God on high all glory be.’ These words, from the opening one of Hymnes and Songs of the Church by George Wither (1588-1667) set by Orlando Gibbons to the tune we associate nowadays with Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go, are the most fitting prelude

to this wonderfully varied recital. From the outset the listener is delighted by singing of the most beautiful quality, admirably controlled ‘through all the compass of the notes’ (to borrow a phrase of Dryden’s). Dr Bowman may indeed be a ‘veteran singer’ for which words I hope he will forgive me, but the performances on this disc neither invite nor require any allowance for that fact; if one is aware that the execution of certain passages has required all his experience and technique, the musical result is if anything enhanced thereby. Malcolm Archer also deserves the greatest praise for his share in the success of this enterprise, both as composer and player; his Three Songs are attractive works of real quality, and his accompaniments and solos cannot be faulted, except that some of the sacred works, notably Turn Thy face from my sins, would arguably have sounded better with organ rather than piano. That really is a very trivial objection when there is so much to praise and enjoy. The liner-notes describe the contents of this CD as ‘scraping the bottom of the barrel’ but surely a better metaphor would be that of reaching deep into a bran-tub and finding a variety of amazing surprises for our delight and pleasure. Do not fail to buy this.

Timothy Storey

THE GUEST

Music of Paul Paviour

Choir of Worcester Cathedral

Dir: Stephen Shellard

Organ: Christopher Allsop

A Canberra Canticle; The Morning Watch; Ruminations; M&N in G; The Glories of this Noble Sound; Abstractions; Love of the Father; That blessèd place; Mary’s child; I sing the birth; Welcome, Yule!; I know Christ lived; Dithyramb; The Guest.

REGENT REGCD 410 TT 66:26

I imagine that to many people Paul Paviour is an unknown name – myself included before this review. The comprehensive CD notes tell us he was born in Birmingham in 1931. After service in the Royal Marines he studied with Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob at the Royal College of Music in London. He held various academic and church posts in the UK before settling in Australia in 1969, eventually becoming Director of the Goulborn Conservatorium. He has composed over 200 works including 8 symphonies, 5 stage works and 5 concertos.

In addition to a number of anthems and carols, the CD features a Te Deum commissioned for a visit by the Queen to Canberra in 2000, his Evening Canticles in G, and three organ works. Paviour’s music is basically romantic in style, and confident in mood. It flows with ease and is well crafted. Whilst it is difficult to trace true originality, the vocal lines are well-shaped and fun to sing; it is easy and enjoyable listening. The Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir was founded in 1998 by their conductor, Stephen Shellard. A high standard of performance is maintained, and the choir is accompanied most ably by the Assistant Director of Music, Christopher Allsop. His fine performances of three organ pieces by Paviour give us an added opportunity to hear the fairly recently rebuilt Worcester Cathedral organ.

It is difficult to single out any particular piece as a favourite, but the beautiful motet The Morning Watch composed in 2012 for Stephen Shellard and the choir shows that, although now in his eighties, Paul Paviour’s talent as a composer is as strong as ever. His music is definitely worth hearing, and I would encourage you to sample it by listening to this CD.

Paul Morgan

PHILLIP COOKE CHORAL MUSIC

Selwyn College Choir, Cambridge

Dir: Sarah MacDonald

Onyx Brass; Organ: Timothy Parsons Morning Service (Te Deum; Jubilate); Three Part songs (I stood on a tower; Green; How clear, how lovely); The Glory of Zion; Verbum caro factum est; Evening Service; O salutaris hostia; Invocation; The Hazel Wood.

REGENT REGCD 411 TT 74:06

This disc required an immediate second hearing. Much of it I found captivating, and I hope that you might too. Philip Cooke has a distinctive and interesting voice, and he has been wonderfully well served by Sarah MacDonald and her musicians. The choir of Selwyn College Cambridge sing Cooke’s demanding vocal lines with commitment and assurance, and I doubt that a composer could wish for more whole-hearted performances. Timothy Parsons is the excellent organist, and it is good to hear the 2005 Letourneau organ in an accompanimental role. Members of Onyx Brass play in the final track, The Hazel Wood. Cooke’s musical style is approachable and, not surprisingly, his profile is in the ascendance. I’m afraid that his purely service music (Te Deum, Jubilate, Magnificat and Nunc dimittis) did little for me, but the other pieces I hope will win many performers over. I found Verbum factum est (2009) especially appealing, and The Glory of Zion is arresting with its declamatory organ part. Invocation is a really fine and evocative setting of Edward Thomas’s Adlestrop, set for a cappella choir and solo trumpet (Alan Thomas).

The extraordinary Gary Cole and his Regent label have done us all a great service by bringing Cooke’s music to a wider audience; he has also shone a spotlight on the excellent work Sarah MacDonald is doing with the musicians at Selwyn College.

Roger Judd

STABAT MATER DOLOROSA

Music for Passiontide

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge

Dir: Graham Ross

Plainchant Stabat Mater; O quam tristis et afflicta; Quis est homo qui non fleret; Pro peccatis suae gentis; Eia, Mater, fons amoris; Sancta Mater, istud agas; Fac me tecum pie flere; Virgo virginum praeclara; Fac me plagis vulnerari; Christe, cum sit hinc exire; Victoria O vos omnes; Lassus Tristis est anima mea; Tallis In ieiunio et fletu; Salvator mundi I; Stainer God so loved the world; Gesualdo Caligaverunt oculi mei; Ross Ut tecum lugeam; Precor te, Domine; Sanders The Reproaches; Lotti Crucifixus a 8; Bach Er nahm alles wohl in acht; Byrd Ave verum corpus; Ne irascaris; Civitas sancti tui; Bruckner Christus factus est; Duruflé Ubi caritas.

HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 907616 TT 75:46

It was an original and attractive idea to intersperse the plainchant Stabat Mater with this ingeniously devised selection of motets and other works which provide a kind of meditation or running commentary on the Stabat Mater’s depiction of Our Lady’s sorrow at the foot of the Cross; one might wonder how the texts of In ieiunio et fletu and Ubi caritas et amor are related to this theme, but perhaps I missed something. There is much that is praiseworthy here, and the performances of the more overtly dramatic works such as O vos omnes (Victoria) and John Sanders’s haunting Reproaches give full rein to the choir’s abilities. Its dynamic range is impressively wide though not always perfectly controlled; in forte passages at the top of their range the sopranos’ tone is somewhat wild and ill-focused, as

in Christus factus est (Bruckner). They are pushed to a distinctly unpleasant extreme in Ut tecum lugeam, the second of their conductor Graham Ross’s two compositions, a work which I found strange rather than beautiful. What disturbed me more was the dullness of much of the singing. The plainchant was delivered in a wooden and inexpressive manner, with little or no shading-off at the end of phrases; much of the remainder of the programme was delivered in a matter-of-fact manner, devoid of any obvious care to ‘frame the music to the life of the words’ (the phrase is William Byrd’s). Lotti’s expressive dissonances went for naught; Byrd and Tallis fared worst of all, with the latter’s heartfelt Salvator mundi delivered with all the feeling of a military march. Sadly I cannot recommend this CD.

Timothy Storey

THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE DOVE

The Sixteen

Dir: Harry Christophers

Sheppard Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria; Libera nos 1 & II; In manus tuas I & III; Mundy Adolescentulus sum ego; Vox patris caelestis; Davy O Domine, caeli terraeque creator; Ah, mine heart, remember thee well. CORO COR 16119 TT 70:58

This CD continues The Sixteen’s pilgrimage through Tudor highways. There is some spectacular music on this disc and it receives spectacular performances. There are three monumental pieces by John Sheppard, Richard Davy and William Mundy, and they are handled brilliantly by Christophers and his talented group. It is a joy to be able to sit back and hear the lines of these complex pieces unfold in blemish-free performances. There is such a variety of vocal scoring, and Christophers knows how to pace these works so naturally, that the 70 minutes passes all too quickly. I hardly dare call the remainder of the programme ‘lesser’ pieces; they too are fine examples of the period, and are beautifully realised by The Sixteen. The group is well served by the recording team, and the warm acoustic of St Alban the Martyr in Holborn suits this music perfectly.

Those who already know and like Christophers’ way with this repertoire will need no encouragement from me to go out and buy this disc. Those who do not, I urge you to put that omission right with this CD; I’d be very surprised if you don’t fall under the spell.

Roger Judd

NEW SONGS OF CELEBRATION

Choirs of St Chad’s, Shrewsbury

Dirs: David Leeke/Kathryn Burningham

Organ: Richard Walker

Boyle Thou, O God, art praised in Sion; Baker Ave Maria; Lloyd M & N; Fleming Kindle a light; Walker When Christ was born; White Nunc dimittis; How Kyrie & Gloria; Noon Sanctus & Benedictus, New songs of celebration; Williams Agnus Dei, Send your light and truth; Evans God be in my head; Lole A Communion Prayer; Elgar The Spirit of the Lord; Leeke A New Commandment; Walker I saw Eternity.

REGENT SCSCD002 TT 60:07

A most enjoyable CD in which a high standard of singing is sustained by both the Choir of St Chad’s Shrewsbury, directed by David Leeke, and the Girls’ Choir, directed by his wife, Kathryn Burningham. Richard Walker provides a generally

secure and colourful accompaniment on the 1904 Norman & Beard organ, which underwent a major overhaul by Harrison & Harrison in 2011. The title New Songs of Celebration is taken from the final anthem on the disc, composed by Timothy Noon for an RSCM Festival in Canterbury Cathedral when he was Assistant Organist there. David Leeke, then the Canterbury Diocesan Music Adviser, conducted the first performance in 2000. The music has considerable rhythmic drive, testing the skills of both singers and organist.

Apart from the splendid opening anthem by Malcolm Boyle and Elgar’s The Spirit of the Lord, all the music has some link with St Chad’s or its musicians. Such composers as Richard Lloyd, Michael Fleming, Martin How and Simon Lole will be better known as organists and choirmasters. It is therefore good to have the opportunity of listening to their well-crafted and tuneful music.

Sadly David Leeke died of cancer in May this year at the age of only 57. Some months before his death, he was given the honorary award of ARSCM in recognition of his contribution to the work of the RSCM, and to church music in Britain and Europe. This CD is tangible evidence of his ability to inspire church musicians and to conduct choirs with special sensitivity to words and phrasing.

Paul Morgan

MESSE SOLENNELLE

Louis Vierne – Jean Langlais

Choir of Southwell Minster

Dir: Paul Hale Organists: Simon Hogan and Hilary Punnett

Vierne & Langlais Messe Solennelle; Duruflé Prélude, Adagio et Choral varié sur le thème du ‘Veni creator’ (Hilary Punnett); Demessieux Te Deum (Simon Hogan).

REGENT REGCD 425 TT 73:19

Many large French churches have a Grand Organ at the back, complemented by a Choir Organ at the other end to accompany the singers. Such composers as Langlais, Saint-Saëns, Vierne and Widor composed settings of the Mass in which the Grand Organ’s interludes provide a dramatic foil to the singers and organ at the other end of the building. These settings can be performed with only one organ, in which form they have become well known beyond their native France, but the result is inevitably something of a compromise as the singers are too close to the source of the fortissimo ‘Grand Organ’ effects. The result can all too often seem something of a shouting match between singers and loud organ. Southwell is twinned with Sées in Normandy whose cathedral just happens to have Grand and Choir Organs by the great 19th century builder Cavaillé-Coll. That is where this recording was made, the happy union of Southwell’s boys and men with two authentic French organs correctly placed for the proper performance of this repertoire. They are played by Southwell’s Assistant Organist and Organ Scholar, and very well indeed. It is notable that the Grand Organ never overwhelms the singers, because it is safely distant from them! Everything is very well executed; the singing of Southwell’s exceptionally fine cathedral choir may at first seem too restrained for this music, but its sheer beauty of tone wins the day, and such moments as the Osanna after the Benedictus in the Langlais setting (complete with a ringing top C from the boys) prove that there is plenty of vocal power available when needed. This is a CD of the very highest quality and interest, which I recommend without reservation.

Timothy Storey

GREAT HYMNS FROM SALISBURY

Salisbury Cathedral Choir

Dir: David Halls

Organ: John Challenger

Glorious things; All my hope; I heard the voice of Jesus; Jerusalem; Be thou my vision; O Jesus, I have promised; Dear Lord and Father; All creatures of our God and King; Guide me, O thou great redeemer; He who would valiant be; Angel voices; Abide with me; At the name of Jesus; How shall I sing that majesty; Love divine; When a knight won his spurs; The day thou gavest; O praise ye the Lord; O thou who camest from above; Tell out my soul; For all the saints; Morning has broken; I danced in the morning; Christ triumphant.

PRIORY PRCD 1098 TT 76:50

For hymn enthusiasts, a CD of 24 well-loved traditional hymns sung by the Choir of Salisbury Cathedral and accompanied by the wonderful Willis organ in the cathedral’s spacious acoustics will be greatly welcomed. Even so, I would advise listening to them in small groups, rather than all 24 at one time. Inevitably some compromise has to be made when trying to capture both the detail of the choral singing and the resonance of a large cathedral and organ. It is therefore not surprising that some of the words get slightly lost. In a few of the hymns the organ rather dominates the choir, and in places I feel the tenors stand out a little too prominently (although I’m sure all tenors will disagree with me on this point!).

The girl choristers are in fine form. Descants are reserved for just five of the hymns, making them more special than routine, and it is good to hear excellent examples by Christopher Robinson and Christopher Gower.

The fine organ generally comes over very well, with variation being provided by the occasional unaccompanied verse, or different voices singing to light organ accompaniment. The CD notes are brief but include texts of all the hymns.

Paul Morgan

MOTETS FRANÇAIS for upper voices

La Maîtrise de Toulouse

Dir: Mark Opstad

Bouzignac Tota pulchra es; Boesset Domine salvum fac regem; Magnificat; Danielis Adoro te; Jesu, dulcissime pastor; Campra

Tota pulchra es; Diligam te, Domine; Fauré

Ave verum; Büsser Regina coeli; Poulenc Litanies à la Vierge Noire; Duruflé Tota pulchra es; Villette O quam suavis est; Libes Litanies; Bleuse In manus tuas, Domine.

REGENT REGCD 420 TT 74:44

In recent times the only French choir that I’ve heard in concert is the Académie Vocale de Paris directed by Iain Simcock. The programme was of Renaissance music, and the choir were fully up to the standard we take for granted in the UK. Unlike the Académie Vocale, La Maîtrise de Toulouse don’t have tenors and basses, at least not on this CD, but the singers (aged 11-15) are equally superb. The choir is attached to the Conservatoire de Toulouse, and was founded in 2006 by Mark Opstad. Members study musical theory and an orchestral or keyboard instrument as well as singing.

There is some totally stunning ensemble singing during the course of this fascinating excursion down French choral byways. Fauré, Poulenc, Duruflé and Villette are, of course, familiar names, but the remainder of the composers featured here are probably either less well-known or not known at all

– that was certainly the case for me. Litanies by Patrice Libes and In manus tuas, Domine by Marc Bleuse were written for La Maîtrise, and really test them to the utmost – the latter divides the singers into as many as eight voice parts and the singers are joined by solo timpani, which is an extraordinarily effective device. William Whitehead is organist in some of the items, playing a chamber organ, or the main organ in the Temple du Salin, Toulouse in the Poulenc; in the baroque pieces he is joined by a viola da gamba.

I was greatly taken by this CD – the quality of singing is of the highest order, and huge congratulations are due to Mark Opstad and his colleagues at the Conservatoire for giving youngsters the wonderful opportunity of singing to such a standard. Please, give this initiative your support – it couldn’t be more worthwhile.

Roger Judd

VOX DICENTIS

Choral Music by E W Naylor

Choir of Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Dir: Richard Latham

Organ: George Lacey/Adam Mathias

Vox dicentis: clama; Behold, God is great; Te Deum, Jubilate, Evening Canticles in A; We have heard with our ears; I will cause the shower to come down; This is the month; Benedicite in G; O Jerusalem, look about thee; And there shall be signs; Christ both died, and rose; Final Responses (Ferial and Festal).

REGENT REGCD 426 TT 75:34

There have been several Naylors in the cathedral music world. Edward Naylor, whose music is the focus of this recording, was the son of John Naylor who, when Edward was 16, became Organist of York Minster having previously been Organist at two churches in Scarborough. Edward’s brother Charles was also an organist, holding posts at Emmanuel College Cambridge and St Peter’s Harrogate. Edward held the post of Organist of Emmanuel College Cambridge for over 30 years, and his son Bernard was also a composer, who spent much of his life in Canada.

Naylor’s best-known (although not the most-performed) work is Vox dicentis, a large-scale anthem for eight-part choir written in Latin, which at the time (1911) would have been sung in English in many English cathedrals. It is widely regarded as a masterpiece. The most performed works on the disc are undoubtedly the Final Responses, which are sung after every Evensong in a number of cathedrals today.

The Evening Canticles in A also appear on the music lists of a small number of cathedrals and other ‘places where they sing’. As with Vox dicentis and the Final Responses they were composed for the choir of King’s College Cambridge at the request of Dr Mann, then Organist at King’s. Alan Gray’s setting in F minor is scored for unaccompanied double choir. The Te Deum and Jubilate Deo in A are splendid period pieces (1902). The Benedicite in G uses an ingenious approach to the text of the Prayer Book with (for the most part) the refrain being sung after every second verse. This helps to keep the timing for the piece down to just over seven minutes.

The remaining works on the disc are less well known, and are receiving their first recording here. They all set the words to appropriate music very much in the manner of other late 19th and early 20th-century church composers.

The choir of Emmanuel College, being comparatively large (eight sopranos, six altos, six tenors and eight basses) is well suited to this repertoire and gives a committed performance. The contribution of the two organ scholars is similarly impressive, despite the fact that the college’s organ is

slightly ‘lightweight’ for the task in hand, being rather more bright (and admittedly musical) than the organ that Naylor would have known. This is a significant release and deserves a place in any serious collection of cathedral music. Thanks and congratulations are due to Richard Latham for bringing it to pass.

Tim Rogerson

LIBERA NOS Contrapunctus

Dir: Owen Rees

Byrd Civitas sancti tui; Quomodo cantabimus; Miserere mei, Deus; Plorans plorabit; Infelix ego; Tallis Libera nos; In jejunio et fletu; Salvator mundi; de Monte Super flumina Babylonis; Cardoso Sitivit anima mea; Peerson Laboravi in gemitu meo; de Cristo Lachrimans sitivit anima mea; Inter vestibulum.

SIGNUM SIGCD 338 TT 69:33

This collection of mostly late 16th-century motets by English, Flemish and Portuguese composers sets words which depict the musical ‘cries of the oppressed’, the oppressed being Roman Catholics of England and Portugal who were not free to celebrate their religion publicly in their homeland. Many of the motets by Byrd and Tallis are well known; but the Libera nos by Tallis is new to the repertoire, being a brief but splendid reconstruction of what was formerly thought to be an instrumental piece. The soaring high soprano line and frequent use of false relation make it very special. Martin Peerson’s Laboravi in gemitu meo also stands out, with its rhythmic interest, use of chromaticism and abundance of ‘English cadences’. Well-loved motets such as Byrd’s Civitas sancti tui and Miserere mei, Deus, as well as Tallis’s In jejunio et fletu and Salvator mundi are given notable performances.

The nature of the material used is, without exception, solemn, and most of the motets are taken at a similar and rather slow pace. It may therefore be better to hear only a few tracks at a time. I usually grumble that music is performed too fast these days, but in this case I rather think a touch more movement in a couple of the motets might have avoided the occasional feeling of monotony.

The singing of Contrapunctus, a professional vocal consort specialising in early music, is magnificent. The voices blend beautifully and their intonation is outstanding. The recording is definitely highly recommended, and was shortlisted for the Gramophone Early Music Award 2014.

Paul Morgan

BACH LUTHERAN MASSES Vol I

The Sixteen

Dir: Harry Christophers

Mass in G minor BWV 235; Mass in F Major BWV 233; Cantata 102.

CORO COR 16115 TT 74:07

It is a true joy to hear these two Lutheran masses together with Cantata 102 (from which both masses are partly derived). The eight singers accompanied by period instrumentalists produce stunning performances. The music is performed with great sensitivity, beauty of tone, and sense of direction.

Bach’s five Lutheran masses consist of just the Kyrie and Gloria of the Roman Catholic mass. All but the first one (BWV231) use movements from his cantatas adapted to fit the new words. Bach had completed his amazing feat of producing three cycles of cantatas by 1727 and after that only wrote the

occasional cantata for a special occasion. The Lutheran masses were produced around 1736, and reuse some of Bach’s finest music.

The Mass in G minor uses the opening chorus of Cantata 102 for the Kyrie, and a chorus from Cantata 72 and four movements of Cantata 187 for the Gloria. The opening chorus is a real gem, full of musical delights and masterly counterpoint, and performed exquisitely under the direction of Harry Christophers. The opening and closing Glorias of both masses are sung at exhilarating tempi, which convey both the joy of the music and the skill of the musicians. The Mass in F major uses two of the arias from Cantata 102, the final chorus being taken from Cantata 40

Cantata 102 is one of the last of Bach’s third cycle of cantatas. The opening chorus is taken at a very slightly faster tempo than heard in the Mass in G minor. The soloists sing beautifully and are accompanied by outstanding instrumentalists – but would Bach have used a theorbo in the continuo section? To me it seems unnecessary in the choruses, although it can add a gentle touch in the solo movements.

The CD notes are most useful although apart from Cantata 102 they omit to mention the other cantatas on which the two masses are based. A superb CD.

Paul Morgan

J S BACH LUTHERAN MASSES Vol II

The Sixteen Dir: Harry Christophers Mass in G; Mass in A; Cantata 79 (Gott der Herr ist Sonn’ und Schild) CORO COR 16120 TT 73:52

The two words ‘Lutheran’ and ‘Mass’ do not immediately strike one as easy bedfellows. Daniel Hyde’s excellent programme notes explain that the tradition in Bach’s time was for the first two parts of the ordinary of the mass to be sung to a setting in Latin with the Creed being sung in German and the final movements often being omitted. Thus the ‘Lutheran Mass’ came into being and comprises only Kyrie and Gloria. Bach composed five of these masses, of which two are presented on this disc together with the cantata from which Bach used some material in their composition.

For the purposes of this disc, The Sixteen only consists of eight singers, two women singing soprano and six men singing the three lower parts, accompanied by an orchestra numbering 22 players. The balance between the 30 musicians is superb, and the recording captures vividly the sense of a performance being given by committed musicians. The music itself is classic Bach with lively or stately choruses, heartfelt arias and duets, and (in the cantata), a recitative when there is a significant amount of text to be set. Highly recommended.

Tim Rogerson

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR

The Organ Symphonies Vol. 3

Joseph Nolan/La Madeleine, Paris Organ Symphonies Nos. 3 in E minor and 4 in F minor

SIGNUM SIGCD 334 TT 65:01

It is good news that all ten of the Widor Organ Symphonies have been recorded by Joseph Nolan on the Cavaillé-Coll organ in the church of La Madeleine, Paris. They were composed when Widor was organist of Saint Sulpice, where Cavaillé-Coll built his finest instrument. The overall sound of the organ and the spacious acoustic of La Madeleine are therefore appropriate.

The Symphony No. 3 is probably the least well known of Widor’s organ symphonies. The first movement is solemn and serious, contrasting with the ensuing playful Minuetto Nolan certainly achieves a pleasing result, although Widor’s markings seem to indicate a more legato line for the opening melody. A stirring and grand Marcia follows which is not unlike the Marche Pontificale of his Symphony No. 1. Then we hear an Adagio for Voix Céleste and Flute. It seems that the Céleste of the Madeleine organ is on the unenclosed Positive division of the organ, making it impossible for Nolan to observe Widor’s crescendo and diminuendo markings. The overall sound is beautiful, but detailed nuance is difficult without the help of a swell box. The final movement is in toccata style, the last 12 bars arriving unexpectedly and the main theme of the toccata appearing in the solemn style of the opening movement. As Harvey Grace noted: ‘A curious movement’.

The Symphony No. 4 is a delight throughout. The opening is more a baroque French overture than a toccata, and a fine fugue follows. The well-known Andante cantabile has a beautiful melody and flowing accompaniment. Nolan again has a problem with the unenclosed Voix Céleste, which seems rather too loud when accompanying the Flute in the final section. The Scherzo that follows displays Widor at his best, and is neatly played. The Voix Humaine (with tremulant) has an outing in the Adagio which precedes the grand Finale There is so much to enjoy in this splendid CD.

Paul Morgan

THE FREESE COLLECTION

Faythe Freese plays the organ of Magdeburg Cathedral

Pamela Decker The Freese Collection Suite; Heinz Wunderlich Organ Sonata on a Single Theme; Reger Variations and Fugue op 73

RAVEN OAR-948 RavenCD.com

TT 69:21

This CD will require a potential buyer to weigh up the pros and cons of player, repertoire and instrument fairly carefully. Have you heard of the player? Faythe Freese has impressive credentials, and she makes light of the considerable demands that this concert places on her. Does the repertoire appeal? Max Reger is the only front line composer, and represents one third of the disc. You might know of Heinz Wunderlich as a very fine player, but as a composer? Pamela Decker’s website (pamela-decker.com) shows that she too, like Ms Freese,

displays wide-ranging musical credentials. Did her three pieces, based on pictures in The Freese Collection, appeal to me enough to persuade me to listen to them more than once, or to learn them – I’m afraid not. What of the instrument? The 2008 4-manual, 93 stop Schuke organ in Magdeburg Cathedral is a splendid-sounding instrument, and has all the colour and dynamic range that you could hope for in presenting this programme; it is also very well recorded. If I came across this CD in a rack, would I fall for it? – probably not.

Roger Judd

ORGAN PARTY Vol I

Kevin Bowyer plays the organ of Glasgow Cathedral

Guzzini Jazzman Swing; Wammes Miroir; Swayne Mr Bach’s Bottle-Bank; Koomans Basso Ostinato; Ronald Watson Badinage; Schifrin arr Solomons Mission: Impossible; Wilson-Dickson Passacaglia on a theme of Stevie Wonder; Paul Ayres Toccata on ‘All You Need is Love’; Gatty Sellars In Old Thibet; Maxwell Davies Farewell to Stromness; Leroy Anderson arr Mike Smith Bugler’s Holiday; Farrington Fiesta Suite PRIORY PRCD 1085 TT 71:29

Some party invitations are welcome; others are dreaded; and then there are those where the recipient is certain that he or she will not know anyone at the party and so has no idea whether it will be an enjoyable experience. Organ Party rather fell into this latter category as far as your reviewer was concerned. We knew of the virtuosic player, Kevin Bowyer, who has recorded prolifically, and we knew of the organ, having heard it when FCM visited Glasgow earlier this year, but much of the music was new to us.

So how were the other guests at the party? There was enough to drink thanks to Mr Bach’s Bottle-Bank (a set of variations on Ten Green Bottles), whilst Fiesta (a work of seven movements most of which are lively in character) took the lead in the dancing. Farewell to Stromness was rather reflective but transcribed well to the organ, whilst Jazzman Swing required use of the whole tonal spread of the Willis/Walker/ Harrison organ. In Old Thibet beautifully and musically painted a faroff land, whilst the Toccata on ‘All You Need is Love’ treated its theme imaginatively whilst not straying too far from it. Every party has an odd-ball and Passacaglia on a theme of Stevie Wonder did the honours here.

Space does not permit any more attempts at party puns, so I’ll close by noting that this disc is described as Volume I; I hope I’m on the guest-list for Volume II!

Tim Rogerson

ORGAN PARTY Vol II

Kevin Bowyer plays the organ of Lancaster Priory

Arthur Wills Fanfare; Grieg arr Christopher Wedding Day at Troldhaugen; Grainger arr Bowyer Air from County Derry; Walking Tune; Ireland Capriccio; F Marriott

The Cathedral at Night; Lefébure-Wély

Marche in E flat; Verset; Tomlinson Paean; Graham Garton

Six Sensations; Fela Sowande Go down, Moses; Myron Roberts Homage to Perotin; Sousa Washington Post March; Edmundson Toccata on ‘How brightly shines’; Williams arr Rupprecht Star Wars.

PRIORY PRCD 1094 TT 79:47

It is a cause for rejoicing that at Lancaster Priory the (not very nice) electronic installation has been replaced by a pipe organ, actually a union of two vintage instruments rescued

from elsewhere, a small-ish Harrison near the choir-stalls and a large Willis at the west end. Kevin Bowyer puts them through their paces with great virtuosity in an unashamedly populist programme, though the serious student of the organ repertory will be glad to find therein such rarities as the works by Garth Edmundson, John Ireland, Myron Roberts and Fela Sowande. Bowyer’s playing is fast, furious and frankly rather noisy, with overmuch use of the new and rather brash ‘Duchy of Lancaster Fanfare Trumpet’ and a somewhat grumpy and not very well tuned 32’ pedal reed. There are some delightful quiet and colourful registers of which we could well have heard more. There is much to enjoy in this CD, but you have been warned!

Timothy Storey

GREAT EUROPEAN ORGANS No. 87

Martyn Rawles plays the organ of Lichfield Cathedral Stanford arr Alcock Procession music from ‘Drake’; Elgar arr West Elegy; Delius arr Fenby On hearing the first cuckoo in spring; Parry arr Stockmeier An English Suite; Paul Spicer The Land of Lost Content; Holst arr Ley Chaconne; Elgar arr Wills Sospiri; Elgar arr Brewer Coronation March (1911).

PRIORY PRCD 1090 TT 79:51

Priory turns its attention to the great organ in Lichfield Cathedral which, in my opinion, is one of the most musical organs in the country. On the strength of hearing this disc, Martyn Rawles comes across as a most musical player. Ally the two and the result is a very attractive listening experience. The repertoire recorded is fascinating, and with the exception of Paul Spicer’s piece, all are arrangements and most of them rarely performed. There are some surprises; Arthur Wills’ arrangement of Elgar’s Sospiri works wonderfully well, and Delius’s First Cuckoo might have been made for the organ. The disc opens with an extended march by Stanford written for a pageant about Francis Drake, which sounds a natural organ piece as realised by Walter Alcock.

The Lichfield organ is on resplendent form and Rawles relishes the colours available to him, never showy, but at the service of the music. I was much impressed by every facet of this disc – warmly recommended.

Roger Judd

HOWELLS FROM SALISBURY

Organ: David Newsholme

Flourish for a bidding;

St Louis comes to Clifton; Intrata No. 2; Rhapsody Op. 17 Nos 1-3; Rhapsody No. 4; Sonata No. 2.

REGENT REGCD 407 TT 76:44

Enthusiasts of the music of Herbert Howells will be delighted to hear of this selection of his organ music, composed from 1915 to 1977. The earliest pieces recorded here are three wonderful Rhapsodies, written during WWI whilst Howells was convalescing from a severe illness which brought his brief spell as Assistant Organist of Salisbury Cathedral to an end. It is therefore fitting that David Newsholme has chosen to record the music on the magnificent Willis organ of Salisbury Cathedral which, apart from the action, remains almost unaltered since Willis built it in 1876-7.

Chronologically, the next organ piece after the three Rhapsodies is the lengthy Sonata No. 2, (composed from 1932-34

and dedicated to Sir George Thalben-Ball), a significant work in which the composer wrestles with a more contemporary style. Many of the resulting rhythmic and harmonic ideas can be heard in his later organ works including Rhapsody No. 4, which was composed in 1958. David Newsholme manages the challenging music of the Sonata and Rhapsody IV very well and uses the colours of the Salisbury organ to good effect – including its particularly powerful Tuba.

The other three pieces on this disc – all personal gifts from Howells – were published after the composer’s death by Novello & Co. which had bought Flourish for a bidding at an auction in aid of the centenary appeal of the Royal College of Organists. Both the Intrata No. 2 (which was an 80th birthday present for Sir Walter Alcock under whom Howells had worked at Salisbury) and St Louis comes to Clifton (written as a tribute to Douglas Fox of Clifton College, Bristol) remained in manuscript form until publication in 1987. They are well worth hearing. Altogether a most interesting and rewarding CD.

Paul Morgan

THE MERTON ORGAN

Benjamin Nicholas plays the organ of Merton College Oxford

Bach/Dupré Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29; Bach/Duruflé Ertödt uns durch dein’ Güte from Cantata No. 22; Franck Pièce héroïque; Stanley Voluntary in A min; Messiaen Prière après la Communion; Bach Toccata and Fugue in D min; Mendelssohn Andante with Variations in D; Langlais Dialogue sur les mixtures; Dupré Cortège et Litanie; Vierne Clair de lune; Carillon de Westminster.

DELPHIAN DCD 34142 TT 71:51

Merton College’s fine new instrument was built by an American firm, the Dobson Organ Company, and the college’s Director of Music capably displays its many virtues. Particularly striking is the sheer loveliness of the flutes as shown in the extended chorale from Cantata 22 known to British organists as Subdue us by thy goodness; the various reed ensembles have an open tone well suited to the French repertoire, and my only adverse criticisms would be of a rather hard-driven quality in the flue upper-work, and of a lack of weight in the pedal registers. Benjamin Nicholas gives a stylish account of a well-balanced programme in which I was especially pleased to find Franck’s Pièce héroïque and the works by Dupré, Langlais and Vierne. Less welcome was THE Toccata and Fugue in D minor; we seemed to be back in the bad old days when it was assumed that the ignorant public would only buy an organ CD if it contained this and perhaps THE Widor Toccata as well, perhaps with Moonlight and Roses as an additional sweetener. But don’t let me put you off; this disc is well worth buying both for the organ and for (most of) the music.

Timothy Storey

THE COMPLETE ORGAN WORKS OF HERBERT SUMSION

Daniel Cook plays the organ of St Davids Cathedral Vol II

Prelude and Aria; Cradle Song; Allegretto; Intermezzo; Saraband and Interlude; Air, Berceuse and Procession; (Vaughan Williams arr Sumsion) Carol, Musette, Eventide, Dominus regit me; Bach arr Sumsion Aria ‘Komm, süsser Tod’; Elgar arr Brewer Prelude and Angel’s Farewell from ‘The Dream of Gerontius’; Chanson de Matin.

Herbert Sumsion (1899-1995) was a pupil of Herbert Brewer (1865-1928) whom he succeeded as Organist of Gloucester Cathedral, from which post he retired in 1967. Many if not most readers of this journal will know his setting of the canticles at Mattins and Evensong in G and his Benedicite in B flat and Evening Service in A; these latter two also spend much of their time in G, seemingly the composer’s favourite key! A late burst of creativity in his retirement brought forth such fine works as By the waters of Babylon and They that go down to the sea in ships. An accomplished organist, whose recording of Elgar’s Sonata in G is still a classic, he was not a prolific composer for the instrument, and Volume I of his Complete Organ Works, recorded also by Daniel Cook but at Salisbury Cathedral, contains most of the major works and even so is padded out by a number of hymn-tune preludes and other such trifles. The presence in Volume II, the disc under review, of a number of works by other composers, albeit in arrangements by Sumsion or his teacher Brewer, might prompt the invocation of the Trade Descriptions Act by those insisting on 100% genuine Sumsion, but their inclusion pays a gracious tribute to his friends and to the Three Choirs Festival of which he was such a staunch upholder. It is a great pleasure to hear this delightful music presented with such skill, and an even greater pleasure to be given such an apt demonstration of Harrisons’ recent rebuild of a cathedral organ whose authentic Willis voice they have so successfully brought back to life. I greatly enjoyed this CD, as I hope will you.

Timothy Storey

HANDEL AND HIS ENGLISH CONTEMPORARIES

Robert Woolley plays the organ of St Mary & St Nicholas, Leatherhead Handel Overture to ‘Ottone’; Jesu, meine Freude; Air in B flat; Fugue in G min; Fugue in B flat; Verse in F; Air in F from the ‘Water Music’; Fantasie in C; Fugue in A min; Voluntary on a Flight of Angels; Walond Voluntary X in A min; Voluntary II in G; James Voluntary VI in E min; Goodwin Voluntary VII in G; Boyce Voluntary V in D; Goodwin Voluntary VII in D; Roseingrave Voluntary in G min; Voluntary in G; Stanley A Voluntary for the Trumpet Stop; Greene Voluntary VII in E flat; Voluntary XIX in C min; Nares Voluntary in A min REGENT REGCD 382 TT 78:50

What an excellent recital this is! For the full account of how this instrument comes to be in Leatherhead, go to www.parishchurch.leatherheadweb.org.uk/parkerorgan. The organ was restored by Goetze & Gwynn in 2007, and they created the case from drawings of a similar size 2-manual 18th-century instrument. Robert Woolley gives a master-class in how this repertoire should be played, and in this he is ably supported by the completely ‘right’ sounds of the mostly 18thcentury pipework of the 1766 Thomas Parker organ. The music comes alive in a way that is only possible when played on such an instrument. The English voluntary of the 18th century stipulated quite clearly what stops were to be used, so we hear the Cornet, the Trumpet, the 4’ Flute, the warm sound of the Great 8’ Diapason and the crisp attack of the tutti. Given the short duration of many of these pieces – there are 33 tracks – you may not want to listen to them all in one sitting.

Congratulations all round for this disc; to the church for having the courage to see the organ restoration project through; to Goetze & Gwynn for their expertise in restoring the organ to new life; to the indefatigable Gary Cole for a

realistic recording; and lastly, and most importantly, to Robert Woolley for presenting such an attractive recital so convincingly and stylishly. Warmly recommended.

Roger Judd

THE ORGAN SINGS

Music of David Dahl

Mark Brombaugh, Christ Episcopal Church, Tacoma Lasst uns erfreuen; Suite Homage; An Italian Suite; Rendez à Dieu; Puer nobis; Es ist ein Ros’; Forest Green; Lobt Gott den Herren; An English Suite; Festive Prelude on ‘Cwm Rhondda’; Variations on ‘New Britain’; A Scandinavian Suite; Variations on ‘Wondrous Love’; Variation Suite on ‘Lobe den Herren’.

RAVEN OAR-953- from www.ravencd.com

David Dahl was Professor of Music and University Organist at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington in the United States of America until his retirement in 2000 and Director of Music Ministries at Christ Episcopal Church, Tacoma until 2010, where he served for 40 years. Although the church was built in 1969, the organ was not installed until 1979 and was built by John Brombaugh & Associates, who specialise in building organs based on the tonal and technical concepts of the North German and Dutch Schools of organbuilding of the 16th to 18th centuries. Thus the instrument has no enclosed division, although it does contain two string stops.

John Brombaugh’s brother, Dr Mark Brombaugh, is the organist on the recording and is currently co-director of Music Ministries at the church, having previously been Director of Music and Organist at the United Church on the Green, New Haven, Connecticut. The organ is modest in size (2 manuals and 23 speaking stops, including a ‘Cigarflute!’). Many of the pieces on the recording were conceived for this instrument and details of the registrations used are provided in the sleeve notes. The mostly tuneful music was composed between 1999 and 2013 and as none of it sounds unmanageably difficult to play (which doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t!), organists reading this might be interested to track some of it down via the publisher Augsberg Fortress. It has something of an improvisatory feel and receives a committed performance.

Tim Rogerson

CHRISTMAS CDs

CHRISTMAS FROM DUBLIN

Dir: Stuart Nicholson

Organ: David Leigh

Poston Jesus Christ, the apple tree; Trad (arr Willcocks) O come all ye faithful; God rest you merry, gentlemen; (arr Noon) Wexford Carol; (arr Dexter) The holly and the ivy; (arr Nicholson) Ding dong! merrily on high; Hark the herald angels; (arr Vaughan Williams) O little town; (arr de Pearsall) In dulci jubilo; Gant What child is this; Britten A hymn to the virgin; Bach In dulci jubilo; Chilcott Shepherd’s Carol; Dines Star of the East; Howells Here is the little door; Rütti My dancing day; Rutter What sweeter music.

REGENT REGCD 418 TT 62:47

Stuart Nicholson runs a tight ship at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. This CD starts with the arresting sound of David Willcocks’s brass fanfare to Adeste fideles and doesn’t look back from that moment. Nicholson’s own excellent, and rather naughty(!), samba arrangement of Ding dong! merrily … is absolutely in the spirit of the words. An earlier organist at the cathedral was John Dexter, and his arrangement of The Holly and the Ivy makes a welcome change from Walford Davies’. Tim Noon, sometime Assistant Organist at the cathedral, is responsible for a touching arrangement of the Wexford Carol In the latter piece the choir’s trebles have a particularly searching part to play, and they pass the test with flying colours – in fact, they are excellent throughout.

The last track is Hark! the herald angels sing, but not as you’d probably expect. This is special to St Patrick’s, sets the words to Handel’s tune Judas Maccabeus, and is, like the opening track, complete with brass. Once I’d got over my surprise, I have to admit that it worked rather well – it certainly brought the CD to a rousing conclusion. David Leigh is the excellent organist throughout; I was sorry that the organ in his solo spot wasn’t totally in tune with itself.

The choir at St Patrick’s Dublin is, on the evidence of this CD, in excellent shape, and the joy of the Christmas season is amply in evidence here.

Roger Judd

HERE IS JOY! CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM THE CITY OF LONDON

Choir of St Michael’s, Cornhill

Dir: Jonathan Rennert

Organ: Gregory Drott, Richard Moore Lindley Here is joy; Darke Cradle Hymn; In the bleak midwinter; Dubra Puer natus; Walford Davies I have no name; Llewellyn London Waits; Byrchmore Quem pastores; Cleobury Be merry; Stocken Come to your heaven; Meredith Sing with your notis; Brown Gabriel and Mary; East Hodie Christus natus est; Norland Gloria; Scott A God, and yet a man?; Morehen Joys seven; Martin Was it light?; Parmley May angels guard your dreams; Orr For Christmas; Organ improvisation on ‘Rorate caeli’.

PRIORY PRCD 1091 TT 78:31

This generous anthology seldom strays anywhere near the beaten track, the only ‘old faithful’ being In the bleak midwinter in its classic setting by Harold Darke, the church’s organist from 1916 to 1966. His Cradle Hymn dates from 1956 and is just as delightful. Another welcome discovery is Infant joy: I have no name, the third of Four Songs of Innocence by Walford Davies; it is presented here in a delectable arrangement for ladies’ voices and harp. These apart, everything was commissioned in the last decade-and a-half for the annual carol service of the Worshipful Company of Musicians; many of these ‘carols’ might more accurately be described as part-songs, and one might venture to suggest that the more advanced or pretentious efforts are the least successful. As Mr Rennert says in a characteristically humorous liner-note ‘not all the new pieces will be highly favoured. … but some will, I hope, shine in the darkness and bring great joy which shall be to all people’. I can only agree! If I am allowed to have favourites, I would single out Here is joy (Simon Lindley), Puer natus in Bethlehem by Rihards Dubra, Stephen Cleobury’s Be merry, Frederick Stocken’s Come to your heaven, you heavenly choirs and William Llewellyn’s amusing London Waits, a sort of quodlibet in which Past three o’clock is cleverly combined with The first nowell, I saw three ships and Good King Wenceslas. It only remains to add that the choir and soloists are absolutely first-rate; the organists deserve the greatest credit for the skill with which

they handle Cornhill’s somewhat overbearing organ. Gregory Drott’s concluding improvisation is a welcome bonus and an effective demonstration of the instrument’s resources. A fine CD, warmly recommended.

Timothy Storey

FOLLOW THE STAR

Carols for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany

Wakefield Cathedral Choir

Dir: Thomas Moore

Organ: Simon Earl, Daniel Justin Guest Zion, at thy shining gates; Trepte People look East; Brahms Es ist ein’ Ros’ entsprungen; Sullivan It came upon the midnight clear; arr McPhee Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing?; Howells A spotless rose; arr Willcocks The first nowell; Unto us is born a son; Rutter What sweeter music; I saw three ships; arr Wilberg Ding dong! merrily on high; Shephard No room; Gardner Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; Flecha Riu, riu, chiu; Mendelssohn Hark! the herald angels sing; Cornelius The three kings; Poulenc Videntes stellam; Leighton O leave your sheep; Hopkins arr Neary We three kings; Litaize Epiphanie.

HERALD HAV PCD 370 TT 63.05

It is good to hear the enthusiasm of the Wakefield Cathedral Choir under the direction of Thomas Moore. The selection of carols from Advent to Epiphany ranges from traditional items (many of which are in the form of arrangements) to a few 20-century original settings. More detailed information about the music would have been welcomed in the CD notes. The choir is neatly accompanied by Simon Earl, the Assistant Director of Music, and Daniel Justin, the Organ Scholar. The organ pieces by Brahms and Litaize reveal the large range of colours available from the 5-manual Wakefield organ.

The choir, consisting of 14 boy choristers, 20 girl choristers, 5 altos, 3 tenors and 5 basses, seems most at home with arrangements by John Rutter, Martin Neary and David Willcocks. The carols by Howells, Cornelius and Poulenc seemed to me to require a touch more finesse and space in places, but the rhythmic exuberance of the Gardner and Flecha carols is well captured. Overall, the spirited talent of the Wakefield Cathedral Choir shines through – as is displayed by their performance of the final carol We three kings in a joyful arrangement by Martin Neary.

Paul Morgan

ALL BELLS IN PARADISE

Choir of Guildford Cathedral

Dir: Katharine Dienes-Williams

Organ: Paul Provost Byrd Rorate coeli; Goldschmidt A tender shoot; arr Willcocks O come, O come, Emmanuel; God rest you merry, gentleman; O come, all ye faithful; Hark, the herald angels sing; Owens The holly and the ivy; Todd Christus est stella; arr Willan What is this lovely fragrance? arr Nicholson Ding dong! merrily on high; arr Moore Baby born today; Chilcott Les anges dans nos campagnes; Causton Cradle Song; Rutter All bells in paradise; Candlelight Carol; Read That yongë child; Moore Lo! that is a marvellous change; Gruber Silent night; Warlock Bethlehem Down.

REGENT REGCD 413 TT 67:33

“What did you do last night?” a colleague asked me on one of the warmest mornings in July. “I was listening to Christmas carols,” I replied. Such is the lot of the reviewer! Thankfully, the disc in question was the latest recording from Guildford Cathedral, which includes some old favourites as well as some

more recent compositions and arrangements. It is good to have a recording of Sir David Willcocks’ arrangement of O come, O come, Emmanuel, which (unlike his other arrangements here) is not really suitable for congregational use.

The recently composed works on the disc include Matthew Owens’ lively and tuneful setting of The Holly and the Ivy, and Will Todd’s carol Christus est stella, which is rather more intense, and Bob Chilcott’s joyful and exciting Les anges. Former organists of Guildford Cathedral are represented with two works by Philip Moore, which are for men’s voices, and an arrangement by Andrew Millington.

The singing is mostly of the highest order and Paul Provost provides excellently matched accompaniments. The last page of the booklet explains that the recording was only possible because each piece was sponsored (and gives details of the sponsors) – something of a sobering thought. Do add your support by buying a copy. I am certain that you will enjoy it whilst eating turkey on Christmas Day even more than I did when listening in the middle of summer!

Tim Rogerson

MYSTIC MEANING

Choirs of St John Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dir: Maxine Thévenot

Organists: Edmund Connolly; Stephen Tharp

Mathias Toccata giocosa; Handel Daughter of Zion; Paul Bouman Behold the Lamb of God; Jeremy Bakken Jesu, dulcis memoria; Moore Love of Love; What is the crying at Jordan; I sing the birth; Bethlehem, of noblest cities; Ledger Advent Calendar; Brahms O Jesu, joy of loving hearts; Robin Fullalove Adam lay ybounden; Geoffrey Butcher A babe lies in the cradle; Desmond Ratcliffe Meditation on ‘The Infant King’; Mendelssohn I will sing of Thy great mercies; Praetorius En natus est Emmanuel; Joubert Torches; Bédard Variations sur ‘In dulci jubilo’; Duruflé Prélude sur l’Introit de l’Épiphanie.

RAVEN OAR-955 TT 55:39 RavenCD.com

I am not sure quite what I expected of this, but I was quite bowled over by it. The Cathedral of St John in New Mexico’s capital city boasts a multi-choir program (sic) typical of the USA’s greater churches; the cathedral choir is a mixed-voice ensemble of forty-three adults including ten professional section leaders who form the nucleus of the eleven-strong chamber choir; there are also the cathedral choristers, fifteen boy and girl trebles, and finally (not included on this disc) there is a junior choir rather endearingly known as the Cherubs. The cathedral even has its own Friends of Cathedral Music to offer practical and financial support, including the commissioning of new works for the choirs. As the liner-notes tell us, ‘this recording is not one that indulges in traditional carols or traditional texts made popular over the airwaves’. Three cheers for that! It is rather an anthology of choral and organ music appropriate to the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany; especially welcome are the four works by Philip Moore, Organist Emeritus of York Minster, and the late Sir Philip Ledger’s Advent Calendar to a text by Archbishop Rowan Williams. Most of the singing is done by the grownups, and their performances are full-toned, expressive and well controlled. The choristers’ singing of Brahms, Handel and Mendelssohn is thoroughly delightful, bright-toned and tuneful, full of verve and enthusiasm. The cathedral organ is obviously an instrument of quality, well played and recorded here. Make sure you buy this splendid CD in time for Christmas.

Timothy Storey

INCARNATION

Gabrieli Consort

Trebles of Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir

Dir: Paul McCreesh

Martin Adam lay ybounden; Trad Veni, veni Emanuel; Lullay, lullay; Qui creavit celum; This endere nyghth I saw a syghth; Letabundus; Howells Long, long ago; Pott Balulalow; Dove The Three Kings; Leighton A Hymn of the Nativity; Britten A Boy was Born.

SIGNUM/WINGED LION SIGCD346 TT 77:25

I must declare myself to be a great fan of Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort, and this CD enhances my pleasure in his and their work. The sequence that McCreesh has devised is a delight, and typical of his meticulous approach to programming, juxtaposing medieval chant with music from the second half of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st. As the name of the disc suggests, this is a CD centred on the birth of the Christ-child, but it is light-years away from the usual mix of Christmas music. There is not a dull note or word in the 77 minutes of this anthology.

As you would expect from McCreesh, the singing is of the very highest quality, and his consort is joined by the boys of the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir in Britten’s A Boy was Born. Their singing is a delight, and Nicholas Algot Swensen is a splendidly assured soloist.

If you only buy one CD for yourself this Christmas, make it this one; from every standpoint, you won’t be disappointed.

Roger Judd

REJOICE AND BE MERRY

Organ music for Christmas

Organ: Paul Walton

Léonce de Saint-Martin Offertoire sur deux Noëls; Baker Berceuse Paraphrase; Briggs Sortie on ‘In dulci jubilo’; Barber Chorale

Prelude on ‘Silent night’; Cook Paean on ‘Divinum mysterium’; Vaughan Williams

Carol; Sumsion Cradle Song; Harwood Christmastide; Ireland The Holy Boy; Bryan Changes on ‘Resonet in laudibus’; Shiner Rejoice and be merry!; Anderson Sleigh Ride; Hollins Christmas Cradle Song; Cochereau Sortie sur ‘Adeste fideles’.

REGENT REGCD 406 TT 77:50

The Walker Organ in Bristol Cathedral is (accurately) described in the sleeve notes as ‘one of the finest examples of the English Romantic organ ... and has, thankfully, survived almost unchanged to this day’. It is also one of the least recorded, and so this CD is particularly welcome. The programme contains music by a wide variety of composers and in a number of different styles. Perhaps the most exciting is David Briggs’ Sortie, which was written for Peter Stevens to play as the second voluntary at the 2007 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College Cambridge. Other joyful works on the disc include the Saint-Martin Offertoire, John Cook’s Paean, Paul Bryan’s Changes and Pierre Cochereau’s Sortie.

The centrepiece of the disc, however, is Christmastide by Harwood. Except for one brief reference to ‘O come let us adore him’, this is not a sequence of carol tunes, but rather a through-composed sectional work in which each section is based on a verse from Chapter 2 of St Luke’s gospel. Christopher Shiner’s Rejoice and be merry is subtitled ‘A Collage of Carols’ and is a fascinating arrangement of no fewer than twelve carols, all within nine minutes! The softer side of the

organ’s character is explored in the Berceuse by George Baker, Samuel Barber’s Prelude, Vaughan-Williams Carol, and The Holy Boy by Ireland. Thomas Trotter’s arrangement of Sleigh Ride is given a lively performance with an extremely effective ‘neigh’ sound provided right at the end by Tom Shevlin on the trumpet.

Paul Walton is to be congratulated not only for putting together this innovative and wide-ranging programme but also for his splendid playing, which manages to create the right atmosphere for each piece. One for this year’s Christmas present list!

Tim Rogerson

WELCOME ALL WONDERS

David Bednall

A Christmas Cantata

Queen’s College, Oxford

Dir: Owen Rees Organ: Paul Manley Prelude; Alleluia; A virgin shall conceive; Ye heavens!; Today is the beginning; Oh! little blade of grass; Journey to Bethlehem; I saw a stable; Shepherds, rejoice! See how from afar; Tribus miraculis ornatum; The Slaughter of the Innocents; But peaceful was the night; Ave maris stella; In the beginning.

SIGNUM SIGCD 335 TT 77:55

The church music of David Bednall, the Assistant Organist of Bristol Cathedral, has become justly celebrated; now we find him attempting a concert work of considerable substance and ambition, for choir, soloists, organ and trumpet. It is considerably longer than Vaughan Williams’s Hodie, a work with which it seems to invite comparison. Bednall claims that his writing owes much to the influence of Howells, but the familiar voices of Britten and Walton also appear. He has set a wide selection of non-biblical texts chosen with considerable resource and imagination. He tells us that he ‘included some texts that focused on the darker elements of the Christmas story. There were both theological reasons for this … and musical ones: relentless rejoicing is difficult to maintain, and can become very wearing upon the listener.’ In other words, we are worlds away from shepherds’ pipes, donkeys, candlelight and all the familiar apparatus of the popular observance of Christmas. The unfortunate and perhaps unforeseen result of Bednall’s approach is that though we are spared relentless rejoicing we come nearer to relentless gloom and tedium. There are moments of great rejoicing, notably the brilliant and effective opening movements and Shepherds, rejoice! and Tribus miraculis ornatum. In short, I am not convinced that the work succeeds as a whole; but there can be no doubt as to the quality of the performance. The musicians of David Bednall’s old college have certainly done him proud, and admirers of his music should be glad to add this disc to their collection. The rest of us should be sure that we know what to expect!

Timothy Storey

INCARNATION

Thomas Hewitt Jones

Chamber Orchestra of London/ Sloane Square Chamber Choir

Dir: Oliver Lallemant

Incarnation -- a suite of songs for Christmas; A Traditional Christmas (orchestral suite); Two seasonal carols: Baby in an ox’s stall; Hear the angels sing.

REGENT RGCD 429 TT 55:48

Thomas Hewitt-Jones, a former organ scholar of Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, is the grandson of Tony HewittJones (1926-89) who was a great stalwart of the Three Choirs Festival and the composer of the Magdalen Service and At the round earth’s imagined corners. The works on this disc are rather a mixed bunch. The Two seasonal carols are cheerful and lively, but the somewhat naïve religiosity of their texts wears a little thin; one must blame the composer himself for the first, but the second is yet another example of the work of Paul Williamson who provided the libretto for Incarnation, seven somewhat wordy meditations on the Christmas story from Advent through to the Epiphany. This wordiness has imposed something of a straitjacket on the compositional style, the texts having been set in a one-note-per-syllable manner that has seemed to preclude variety of pace and articulation or much in the way of thematic development. Considerable relief is afforded by Revelling, the sixth movement, which celebrates the secular delights of roast turkey, beef and wine by the cask, because ‘The Lord of Misrule is our master tonight!’. Throughout Incarnation we can appreciate and admire the composer’s sure judgment not only of choral but also of orchestral sonorities, a talent revealed also in A Traditional Christmas, his ingenious and effective orchestral suite gathered together from familiar carol-tunes. It only remains for me to add that the performances and recording are excellent.

Timothy Storey

JOY TO THE WORLD

An American Christmas

Handel and Haydn Society

Dir: Harry Christophers

Trad I wonder as I wander; Joy to the world; It came upon the midnight clear; In dulci jubilo; O little town (American); Angels we have heard on high; O little town (English); Lauridsen O magnum mysterium; Holst In the bleak midwinter; Billings Shepherds, rejoice!; A virgin unspotted; Chilcott The Shepherd’s Carol; Charles Ives A Christmas Carol; Rutter There is a flower; Howells A spotless rose; Praetorius In dulci jubilo; Bassi Quem pastores laudavere; Pearsall In dulci jubilo; Leontovich Carol of the Bells. CORO COR 16117 TT 63:02

The director of The Handel and Haydn Society, America’s oldest arts organisation, will be familiar to readers as the distinguished founder and conductor of The Sixteen, and the performances on this disc are robust, well drilled and expressive, every bit as good as one would expect. The title An American Christmas requires a certain amount of qualification. Those famous American composers Chilcott, Holst, Howells, Pearsall, Praetorius and Rutter rub shoulders somewhat oddly with only a smallish number of examples of the genuine home-grown product, e.g. the very attractive works by Bassi, Billings and Ives and the traditional tunes to such familiar American texts as It came upon the midnight clear and O little town of Bethlehem. This anthology would be more accurately described as ‘Christmas Music they like to sing in the USA’ and as such, apart from that tiresome piece by Lauridsen, it is a varied, well chosen and enjoyable programme, to which I have listened with great pleasure. I recommend it most enthusiastically. Those interested in a full programme of genuine American Christmas music could investigate Christmas from Saint Louis (Regent REGCD373) which your reviewer greatly enjoyed some time ago.

Timothy Storey

The world’s finest choral music

The Guards’ Chapel

Hereford Cathedral Choir in London

A Service for Advent

The Royal Military Chapel

Wellington Barracks, London

Tuesday 2 December 2014, 6.30 pm followed by a reception in the O~cers’ Mess

Admission is by ticket only

0845 652 1823

3 choirs.org

For more information please contact Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust perpetual.trust@herefordcathedral.org 01432 374261

Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists

Edited by Rebecca Groom te Velde and David Blackwell

• New accessible settings for organ of all the major hymn tunes for the season

• Fresh, imaginative pieces, written by a range of experienced organ composers based in the US and the UK, and displaying a great variety of styles and approaches

• Practical, concise settings for all parts of the church service—preludes, postludes, fanfares, communion settings

• Suitable for busy church musicians at intermediate level working in all major denominations

• Registration suggestions that can readily be adapted to suit most instruments with pedals www.oup.com/uk/music

Available from music shops or from OUP: online at www.oup.com/uk, 01536 452630, or email music.orders.uk@oup.com. US customers please order from www.editionpeters.com

Exclusive to CM readers, the James Bowman personal collection presentation box-set: a treasure trove of James Bowman’s favourite music from Elgar, Byrd, Moore, Vaughan Williams, exclusive commissions from Malcolm Archer and more. ‘Thus Angels Sung’ a lifetime retrospective is available direct from the artist with Convivium Records.* Get your exclusive presentation box using coupon: bowman1 when you order the CD £9.99 +P&P

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REGENT New Releases

‘...the most superb recordings of choral and organ music from some of the world’s finest musical institutions...’ Sydney Organ Journal

BLOW OUT, YE BUGLES

Music from the time of the First World War

Truro Cathedral Choir directed by Christopher Gray, Luke Bond (organ)

A WINCHESTER REMEMBRANCE

Winchester Cathedral Choir, Fine Arts Brass

Ensemble, George Castle, Jonathan Hope (organ), directed by Andrew Lumsden

REGCD437

SERENIT Y, COURAGE, WISDOM

A Sequence of Music and Readings for Remembrance

The Proteus Ensemble directed by Stephen Shellard, Christopher Allsop (organ)

REGCD435

The English Cathedral Series Volume XVIII WORCESTER CATHEDRAL

Christopher Allsop plays the Kenneth Tickell organ

REGCD449

IN AN OLD ABBEY

British Organ Music

Paul Walton plays the organ of Bristol Cathedral

REGCD431

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REGDVD002

ARUNDEL RESTORED

Daniel Moult plays the Hill Organ of Arundel Cathedral

REGCD434

CHRISTMAS FROM TEWKESBURY

Tewkesbur y Abbey Schola Cantorum directed by Simon Bell, Carleton Etherington (organ)

REGCD440

THOMAS TROTTER A Shropshire Idyll

The Organ of St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow

Includes Handel: Concerto in B flat major, Op 4, No 2; Boyce: Trumpet Voluntary in D, No 1; Elgar: Sonata in G, Op 28;

Nyman: Fourths, Mostly; Walton: Crown Imperial

‘compelling aplomb imposing virtuosic pedal work superbly captured by director Gary Cole, whose framing of Trotter's hands and feet throughout the recital is exemplary ’ ***** Choir & Organ

NEW DVD