Ireland: Greater Love Hath No Man

Spiritually at home in the liturgy and fine choirs of High Church Anglicanism, John Ireland wrote much loved hymns and carols throughout his life. A fluent Edwardian style can be heard in earlier works such as the Stanford-influenced Te Deum and the Communion Service. The anthem Greater love hath no man took on affecting resonance when sung during memorial services during the First World War, and the ravishing Ex ore innocentium movingly responds to the agony of the Crucifixion in a rich, post-romantic musical language.

There is surely no more quintessentially English sound than that of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, its unaccompanied voices – evocative of immemorial sandstone, of cool cloisters, of evensong in church, chapel and cathedral – serene in the music of Shakespeare’s contemporaries Byrd and Gibbons, ethereal in Delius heard of a summer’s night across the Backs of the River Cam.

No less iconic is the chapel that lends its unique acoustic to that sound. One of the glories of the English perpendicular style of architecture, it was eventually completed in 1547, a little over a century after the founding of the college itself by Henry VI.

This collection opens and closes with coronation music: Zadok the Priest was written for the crowning of George II in 1727, I was glad for that of Edward VII in 1902. Both were so successful that they have been sung at every coronation since their premières. Parry’s ‘processional anthem’ is heard here in its full panoply of extra brass and shouted Vivats, the choir of King’s choir providing the semi-chorus in the exquisite interlude ‘O pray for the peace of Jerusalem’.

In between are motets ancient and modern – from the miniature If ye love me and the architectural splendour of the 40-part Spem in alium to William Harris’s dramatic double-choir Spenser setting Faire is the Heaven; well-known psalms sung to Anglican chant; and favourite hymns, notably All people that on earth do dwell, arranged ceremonially for another coronation, that of Elizabeth II.

As well as national rejoicing there is solemn remembrance. Come ye sons of art away is Purcell’s 1694 birthday ode for Queen Mary, Thou knowest, Lord part of the music he wrote for her funeral just nine months later. John Ireland’s Greater love hath no man is often heard on Remembrance Sunday; Sir John Tavener’s Song for Athene made a powerful impression at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales; while John Rutter’s small-scale, personal Requiem touched a wider public following the attacks of 11 September 2001. But ‘Nimrod’ above all epitomises music of national remembrance. Here a choral setting of it, Lux aeterna, represents our ‘Shakespeare of music’, Edward Elgar.

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.

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.

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.

The beautiful church of St. Clement Danes in the Strand is The Central Church of the Royal Air force. They have a long tradition of high quality music making as demonstrated by this album of choral music