Thompson, R: Alleluia

For the past half century the music of Randall Thompson has remained a staple in the choral repertoire. These delightful works are marked by skilful craftsmanship, a pervasive singability and uncommon beauty. This new recording features Thompson’s The Peaceable Kingdom, based upon texts from the book of Isaiah, as well as his Mass, The Last Invocation and Fare Well. Also included is one of Thompson’s most popular works, his Alleluia, written at the request of Serge Koussevitsky and premiered in July 1940, and today a beloved and time-honoured contribution to the choral repertoire.

The informative booklet notes are by one of Thompson’s most constant admirers, the fellow-American composer Morten Lauridsen.

Contains standard CD and Blu-ray surround-sound audio disc

A new and intriguing sampler features a selection of pieces from Hyperion’s extensive and varied choral collection. This disc seeks to give a flavour of the contemporary choral music recorded by Hyperion over the last decade. Whilst on one level it can stand alone as a tribute to the beauty of its composers’ writing and choirs’ singing, it also lifts the lid on the albums from which the tracks are drawn. A perfect introduction to the magic new worlds of sound that await the listener.

This new Christmas release features star soprano Soile Isokoski in favourite Christmas Carols from Finland, Germany and Britain. Matti Hyökki conducts the renowned Finnish YL Male Voice Choir accompanied by organ and cor anglais.

Peace is a choral album for our times, a rich collection of popular a capella works such as Barber’s Agnus Dei, John Tavener’s Song for Athene and Elgar’s Lux Aeterna (Nimrod), alongside lesser-known compositions by Rachmaninov, Schoenberg and American composers Randall Thompson and Morten Lauridsen. Quite simply, Peace is over one hour of gorgeous and inspiring music.

Grant Llewellyn, conducting the chorus of the Boston, Massachusetts-based Handel and Haydn Society, appropriately describes the spirit of Peace:

“I arrived in Boston to take up my appointment with the Handel and Haydn Society on the evening of September 10, 2001. I awoke early the following morning to witness the horror taking place in the skies over America. Growing up in Wales, I was sandwiched between the English and, just across the water, the Irish between whom the “troubles” raged throughout my childhood, and still simmer. For years, we have borne witness to tragedies in the Middle East, the Balkans, Chechnya, the Koreas, Afghanistan, and many other lands. It would seem this species of ours is hell bent on conflict. What can we as mere musicians possibly do to alleviate this situation?

“We have tried to find here music that can convey a sense of calm and tranquillity that will compel the listener to slow down, even stop and reflect on life and its beauty for a moment. We have chosen music from many lands, religions and cultures that is solemn, sometimes profound and always uplifting. We hope that in this small way we are contributing to Peace on Earth.”