Britten: Choral Works

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The programme is delightful and the choir excellent. AMDG presents as formidable a challenge to its singers as any of Britten's compositions for unaccompanied choir. In fact that's sometimes... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Catalogue No: CDA67140
Label: Hyperion
Length: 61 minutes

Gramophone Awards

2001

Winner - Choral

Britten: Five Flower Songs, Op. 47

Album only

Polyphony
Stephen Layton

Britten: A.M.D.G.

Album only

Polyphony
Stephen Layton

Britten: A Hymn to the Virgin

Album only

Polyphony
Stephen Layton

Britten: Choral Dances from Gloriana, Op. 53

Album only

Polyphony
Stephen Layton

Britten: Chorale after an Old French Carol

Album only

Polyphony
Stephen Layton

Britten: Sacred and Profane, Op. 91

Album only

Polyphony
Stephen Layton

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Much of Britten's choral music requires great vocal dexterity and suppleness. Polyphony continue to receive great critical acclaim for their performances so are the perfect group to record this repertoire. Included on this recording is the last choral work for professionals which Britten was to completeSacred and Profanea collection of eight medieval lyrics for voices in five parts (SSATB). Also included is the Chorale after an old French Carol whose text is by W H Auden (a close friend of Britten's). The Chorale's text was part of an unachieved Christmas Oratorio on which Britten and Auden intended to collaborate. The seven settings of poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins entitled A.M.D.G. were never performed in the composer's lifetime and indeed had to wait until 1984 for their first performance.

Reviews

2010

The programme is delightful and the choir excellent. AMDG presents as formidable a challenge to its singers as any of Britten's compositions for unaccompanied choir. In fact that's sometimes suggested as the reason why, having written it for an expert group in 1939 and realising that its chances of frequent performance were slim, Britten never prepared the work for publication. It's a pity he couldn't have heard Stephen Layton's Polyphony! Even more than the Finzi Singers, their predecessors on record, they've worked it into the system so that they have the sense of it clearly in their mind and can make the word-setting fresh and spontaneous. 'God's Grandeur' (allegro confuoco) has the fire: the Finzis seem almost cautious by comparison. In 'The Soldier' Polyphony catch the swing of the triplets and dotted notes with more panache and make more of the words. They also bring out the tender lyricism in 'Prayer II' and grasp more decisively the conmoto, Vivace and Avanti! markings in 'O Deus, ego amo te'.
In the Five Flower Songs Polyphony have a young tone and their numbers allow them to convey a sense of round-the-table intimacy. In the Choral Dances from 'Gloriana', Polyphony improve on the Finzi Singers' performance with crisper rhythms and a clearer acoustic. Sacredand Profane, like AMDG a work for virtuosos, is given with wonderful confidence and imagination.
A wonderful disc.

Britten: Choral Works

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