Tippett: Steal Away

An ideal release for the penitential church season of Lent, with music for Lent, Passiontide and Holy Week, sung by the highly-accomplished Choir of Winchester College.

A varied selection of music ranging from the 16th to 20th centuries, framed by Tippett’s heart-rending settings of five spirituals.

Some of the greatest music ever written for the this solemn period of preparation for Easter, including Lotti’s Crucifixus, Tippett’s Five Spirituals, and works by Byrd, Purcell, Duruflé and John Ireland.

The definitive sound of British Choral music will be sure to resonate through the Nation this forthcoming May bank holiday. This stunning 2CD compilation is filled with some of the most evocative and iconic British music ever composed.

Drawn from the catalogues of Decca Classics, Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Records, this TV advertised compilation includes performances from a variety of the world's leading choirs and ensembles: Westminster Abbey Choir, Christ Church Cathedral Choir under Stephen Darlington, New College Choir under Edward Higginbottom, and with such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Star performances come from Kiri Te Kanawa, All Angels, and many more.

In his 30-plus years as director of The Choir of New College Oxford, Edward Higginbottom has secured its legacy through hundreds of critically acclaimed and best selling recordings, the most recent being the final instalment in a trilogy exploring various national choral traditions of the 20th century. Following the success of Poulenc and his French Contemporaries (AV 2084) and MacMillan and his British Contemporaries (AV 2085), Higginbottom turns to the American School, offering seminal works by native composers - such as Copland’s In The Beginning, Ives’ 67th Psalm and Morten Lauridsen’s modern classic O Magnum Mysterium – alongside those written in or inspired by the big country, including Stravinksy’s Mass and Tippett’s gospel-tinged Steal Away.