Vaughan Williams: O Taste and See

A journey in music through a year at Southwark Cathedral charting some of the major Festivals of the Church’s year from Advent to Remembrance.

A collection of both well-loved items and some less familiar works that might be heard at choral services in the Cathedral during the year.

A rare recording from the fine choir of London’s ‘other’ Cathedral!

The third release in Regent’s new ‘A Year at…’ series featuring a year in music from England’s major Cathedrals, which is building into a comprehensive survey of cathedral music repertoire.

The splendour of royal music for grand ceremonies and celebrations.

No English church is more associated with Royal pomp and pageantry than Westminster Abbey. Since 1066, every sovereign save two has been crowned there. Until the relative privacy of Windsor was preferred, most were buried there.

And it has become the favoured venue for members of the Royal family to marry.

Martin Neary leads choral and brass forces in a program of music by Arthur Bliss, Ralph Vaughan Williams, William Walton, Hubert Parry, and others for grand ceremonial occasions.

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 excellent release features the luminous beauty of Vaughan-Williams’ best-loved anthems, as well as his wonderful Mass in G minor. Also included is the world premiere recording of Five Mystical Songs in the version for piano quintet and chorus.

The first recording from the magnificent Chapel Choir of Winchester College since Malcolm Archer (formerly Wells and St Paul’s Cathedrals) took over in 2007.

A beautiful collection of favourite anthems, including My beloved spake, How lovely are thy dwellings, Ave verum Corpus, Greater Love and Evening Hymn.

Several rarities, including Elgar’s great setting of Light out of Darkness and works by Sumsion and MacMillan.