Gibbons, O: O Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not

Westminster Abbey has been the focus of British royal occasions for centuries, and the early seventeenth century saw the most dazzling musicians of the age writing music for the Court in all its various incarnations. This fascinating disc presents a selection of works from the reign of King James I.

The most celebrated name on this disc is that of Orlando Gibbons, and some of his most masterly works are presented here including the gloriously contrapuntal O clap your hands and the startlingly original verse anthem See, see, the Word is incarnate, setting an extraordinary text which covers the whole of the liturgical year.

The most eloquent and emotionally intense music recorded here was most likely never intended for performance in the Abbey, or any other church, but has a particularly Royal relevance. The laments of King David were set by many composers of this period. These moving texts have no place in the liturgy, being neither part of the Ordinary of Psalms and canticles, nor able to furnish a seasonally appropriate or devotional anthem. Their composition seems therefore to have been a response to the death in November 1612 of the Prince of Wales, Prince Henry. These are courtly laments, in which the composers give voice – and perhaps vied to give voice most eloquently – to the grief of the King (in the settings of David’s lament for his son Absalom) and Prince Charles (in the ‘Jonathan’ pieces, in which the king describes his friend as ‘my brother’). Included is the best known of all the ‘Absalom’ pieces, Tomkins’s When David heard, together with his equally moving ‘Jonathan’ setting, Then David mourned.

The world renowned choir of King’s College Cambridge and their iconic director, Sir David Willcocks, give performances of the church music of Orlando Gibbons, a composer who had close associations with the Cambridge college. Included are the famous anthems ‘This is the record of John’ and ‘Hosanna to the son of David’.

A selection of popular anthems performed by one of the finest Anglican churches in the world, the multi Gramophone Award winning New College Choir.

The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, directed by Timothy Brown perform Tudor Anthems and Motets by an array of sixteenth century composers including the ever popular Byrd and Tallis and the less familiar figures of Dering, Philips, Mudd and Farrant. Clare College Choir is one of the UK’s finest mixed choirs.

This CD represents some of the popular music sung at Guildford Cathedral by the choirs, favourite anthems which reflect different seasons of the liturgical year, written for many diverse occasions. It includes Parry’s I was Glad and Dyson’s exuberant setting of the Magnificat in D major.