anon.: Rejoice in the Lord alway

Every year on Advent Sunday St Paul’s Cathedral in London holds an Advent Carol Service. This recording captures the mood and structure of this event, presenting a selection of the music which might be performed in its liturgical order.

The Church’s preparation for the coming of Christ begins in contemplative mood with the plainchant processional Laudes Regiae and the famous Mattins Responsory (‘I look from afar … ’). The wealth of music that follows is typical of the approach of this choir: traditional favourites such as Hosanna to the Son of David and the Parsons Ave Maria rest alongside contemporary works from composers such as John Rutter, Richard Lloyd and Philip Wilby. This album—and the hypothetical service—comes to an end with a joyous arrangement of the great hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel; an organ toccata on the same theme by Andrew Carter acts as the voluntary.

Under the direction of Kerry Beaumont, the choirs at Coventry Cathedral have made several television broadcasts. On this CD they perform a wide-ranging repertoire, including works by Tallis, Byrd, Stanford, Dyson Dove and Beaumont.

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.

Beginning with a mesmerizing solo soprano chant of Hildegard von Bingen, this new program weaves both solo and group chants through medieval and Renaissance masterpieces. The flow back and forth enables the listener to feel the spellbinding continuity in all of this music, which has its strong roots in Chant.