Parry: Hear my words, ye people

Sir Hubert Parry composed some of the most masterful and moving choral music of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

His magnificent coronation anthem for Edward VII, I was glad, and his setting of Blake’s mystical poem Jerusalem rightly remain famous, while his Magnificat and Nunc dimittis display his debt to Anglican musical traditions.

The Songs of Farewell draw psalms and English poetry together into a charming garland, and ‘Long since in Egypt’s plenteous land’ from his oratorio Judith sets the composer’s own prayerful text.

“Choir, director and organist have clearly enjoyed themselves… a very high standard throughout. The Manchester Cathedral organ comes over well throughout. Highly recommended.” The Organ on a previous release

“The choir sings with an unusually expressive tonal vocabulary as well as with dynamic variation which makes it distinctive from other choirs… The whole thing is very refreshing.” Cathedral Music on a previous release

The Psalms of David are arguably the portion of the Old Testament that has been enfolded most completely within the Christian tradition and its liturgies. Their messages of strife and joy, prayer and praise, resonate strong and loud alongside the teachings of Jesus and find special expression in musical settings. This disc is an exploration of all these themes, as interpreted by composers over the course of four and a half centuries.

The Temple Church is one of the most historic and beautiful churches in London. Situated between Fleet Street and the Thames Embankment, its recorded musical history extends back to its restoration in 1841, although a church has stood on the site for over 800 years. This is Signum’s second disc with the choir, following 2010’s release of ‘The Majesty of Thy Glory’.

The second release on Regent from Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir.

Released to celebrate the centenary of the first performance of Five Mystical Songs in the 1911 Three Choirs Festival at Worcester.

This disc frames that well-loved masterpiece by Vaughan Williams with works by Elgar, Parry, and Stanford, with some rarities including Elgar’s Memorial Ode for Queen Alexandra, and three settings of O salutaris hostia.

As exclusive Chandos artists, the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge here presents its second release. The first CD, of choral music by Howells (CHAN10587), was released to rave reviews in March this year. Choir and Organ wrote: ‘There is musicianship here of a rare and moving kind.’ This new release of popular choral classics should meet with a similar reception while at the same time appealing to a wider audience.

Established in the 1670s, the Choir of St John’s has a distinguished tradition of performing religious music. Its main duty is singing the daily services in the College Chapel during the University Term. During the University vacation the Choir carries out engagements in the UK and overseas, as well as undertaking a busy recording schedule. This particular release was recorded in the College Chapel in full surround-sound. The disc not only sounds spectacular, but recreates to an uncanny degree the experience of listening to the Choir perform in the chapel.

The music itself represents a time span of nearly 500 years of choral music. The earliest piece dates from the first half of the sixteenth century, and the newest was composed as recently as 2007. The styles and genres are varied, but there are clear links between the works throughout. For example, several are based on texts from the psalms, and the works by Pärt, Parsons, and Rachmaninoff offer three radically different interpretations of the Ave Maria. Some of the works also add a solo instrument to the familiar mix of voices and organ. But perhaps most importantly, all the pieces recorded here sit comfortably under the heading of ‘Popular Choral Classics’.

Allegri’s Miserere is counted among the great classics of church music. Part of its mystique stems from its origins; for many years the work was performed only in the Sistine Chapel, and as with other works tied to a single place it became an object for pilgrimage. In this case the pilgrims included Mendelssohn, as well as Mozart who famously noted down the work from memory after leaving the Vatican, thereby risking excommunication by the Catholic Church. This new release also features Stanford’s Jubilate, which was written for Trinity College, Cambridge. Intended as part of the service of Morning Prayer, it has long been one of the most popular canticles in the Anglican repertoire. In keeping with the text, Psalm 100, the tone is festive throughout.

This disc features some of the best-loved anthems in the church repertoire, and notably that with an Etonian connection.Thus it begins and ends with the music of Parry, Eton's favourite musical son, whose success with Blest Pair of Sirens in 1887, saw him regarded as the leading choral composer in England.

In 1441, Henry VI founded Eton College and its sister college, King's College in Cambridge, giving each a chapel in magnificent Perpendicular style.The foundation of Eton College provided ten men and sixteen boys to sing the services and with very few breaks, the choir has been singing in the chapel from then until the present day.