Mater, Ora Filium: Choral Music of Bax & Villette

1. Epithalamium
Composed by Arnold (Sir) Bax
with Christopher Hughes

2. Lord, thou hast told us
Composed by Arnold (Sir) Bax

3. I Sing of a Maiden that is Makeless, for 5 voices
Composed by Arnold (Sir) Bax

4. Salve Regina
Composed by Pierre Villette

5. Magnificat for chorus & organ
Composed by Arnold (Sir) Bax
with Christopher Hughes

6. O magnum mysterium
Composed by Pierre Villette

7. Mater Ora Filium, for chorus
Composed by Arnold (Sir) Bax

8. Attende, Domine
Composed by Pierre Villette

9. This Worldes Joie for chorus
Composed by Arnold (Sir) Bax

10. O sacrum convivium
Composed by Pierre Villette

11. Hymne à la Vierge, for chorus
Composed by Pierre Villette

Tracks:

This Worldes Joie
Two Madrigals: 1. In Youth Is Pleasure
Two Madrigals: 2. Before Me, Careless Lying
Bater Ora Filium
Long, Long Ago
Five Greek Folk Songs: 1. Miracle Of Saint Basil
Five Greek Folk Songs: 2. The Bridesmaid's Song
Five Greek Folk Songs: 3. In Far-Off Malta
Five Greek Folk Songs: 4. The Happy Tramp
Five Greek Folk Songs: 5. A Pilgrim's Chant
The Summer Is Coming
I Sing Of A Maiden That Is Makeless
Take Him, Earth For Cherishing

Customer Reviews:

Magical English choral music.......2000-03-31

When you play this record of splendid choral music through you have to regret the fact that Chandos did not use this fresh voiced ensemble (or another group of this calibre) on the Bax CD : 'Enchanted Summer', 'Walsinghame' and 'Fatherland'. Maybe they thought that you needed more than 20 singers to overcome the orchestral tutti. Anyway, this group perform magnificently with these fiendishly difficult works that really put them through their paces. Although both composers here are 'sensitive souls' and contemporaries, they were totally different in terms of sources of inspiration and musical teleology. Bax was not into devotional work as such but his 'Mater Ora Filium', a setting of a mediaeval carol is inspiring both musically and emotionally. This notoriously difficult work is tackled with aplomb with the polyphonic writing emerging as a supreme example of English choral music. This is about as good as this genre gets. Bax's 'This Worldes Joie', a setting of a early fourteenth century poem is a lament with the winter bringing a realisation to the poet of the ultimate death of everything, even the world's joy. Bax is brilliant in the way he portrays the wintery world weary reflective soul, which he would tackle again three years hence in a more personified form, in his setting of Sir Walter Raleigh's 'Walsinghame'. The Howells writing dovetails beautifully with the Bax and the idea to inerweave the composers was an inspired one. It seems a seamless collection which shows Howells adoration of the Tudor choral tradition of Tallis, Taverner et al. The 'Two Madrigals' are an explicit form of this worship but 'Take him, Earth for Cherishing' is among this composer's best works and the Finzi Singers directed by Paul Spicer reveal how much beauty lies within Howells' choral writing with their fresh sound. 'Long, long ago searches for harmonic peace and at one time a discordant cadence is pursued until we arrive at the place we wanted but with certain tonal mysterious questions unanswered. Bax's 'Five Greek Songs' and 'I sing of a Maiden that is makeless' are both equally fine and show that he was as assured in this medium as his CD companion. The second of these pieces has harmonies that recall Delius in his 'Appalachia' and 'Sea Drift'.

Magical English choral music.......2000-03-31

Tracks:

Sun Dance ('Wand Of Youth' Ste No.1, Op.1a No.4) - RPO/Lawrance Collingwood
Marigold - Richard Rodney Bennett
Saint Nicolas: 2. The Birth Of Nicolas - Robert Tear/Bruce Russell/Andrew Davis/Ian Hare
Str Qt 'In Gloucestershire' (No.3): II. Fairly Quick, But Always Rhythmical - Britten Qt
Sym No.1 in A flat, Op.55: IV. Allegro Molto (Exc) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
Troilus And Cressida, Act II: From Isle to Isle Chill Waters (Exc) - Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Richard Lewis
Dance Scenes: IV. Molto Allegro (Conclusion) - Philharmonia Orch/Daniel Harding
Ave Maria Op.2 No.2 - Harry Bramma/Chr of Worcester Cathedral/Christopher Robinson
The Triumph Of Neptune (Ste): 7.Hornpipe - RLPO/Barry Wordsworth
Dies Natalis: 2. Rhapsody (Opening) - Wilfred Brown
Sym No.5 In D: III. Romanza (Excerpt) - Philharmonia Orch/Sir John Barbirolli
Blest Pair Of Sirens (Opening) - London Phil Chr
Checkmate (Ballet Ste): V. Ceremony Of The Red Bishops - Sinf Of London/Sir Arthur Bliss
Peter Grimes: Act II, Scene 2: In Dreams I've Built Myself Some Kindlier Home (Opening) - Sir Peter Pears
Vn Con: II. Slower (Exc) - Yehudi Menuhin
The Planets: 4. Jupiter (Exc) - Toronto SO/Andrew Davis
Loch Lomond - Ian Partridge
Canadian Carnival (Exc) - CBSO/Sir Simon Rattle
At The Boar's Head: We Two Saw You Four... (Opening) - Philip Langridge/Michael George/John Tomlinson
Divertimento On 'Sellinger's Round:' III. Presto - ASMF/Sir Neville Marriner
Greater Love Hath No Man (Conclusion) - Chr Of King's College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury
English Dance No.5, Op.33 No.1 - Philharmonia Orch/Robert Irving
On Wenlock Edge: 2. From Far, From Eve And Morning - Ian Partridge
Sinfonietta: I. Allegro Con Brio (Exc) - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
Mater Ora Fillum (Opening) - Chr Of King's College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury
Violin Son: II. Vars (Var.6: Scherzando) - Yehudi Menuhin/Louis Kentner
Vc Con in D: II. Andante Espressivo (Opening) - Julian Lloyd Webber
Three Screaming Popes (Conclusion) - CBSO/Sir Simon Rattle
Con, Op.104: III. Allegro (Exc) - Phyllis Sellick/Cyril Smith
The Young Person's Guide To The Orch Op.34: Fugue (Allegro Molto) - CBSO/Sir Simon Rattle
Str Qt in e, Op.83: II. Piacevole (Conclusion) - Chilingirian Str Qt
The Lady's Birthday - Jennifer Partridge/Baccholian Singers Of London
Crown Imperial (Conclusion) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult

Average customer rating:

Bad executions??!
...Just as it should be
Good Intentions, Bad Executions

Finzi, Bax and Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams , King's Singers , Stephen Cleobury , Gerald Finzi , King's College Choir Cambridge , David Willcocks , and Arnold Bax
Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000005GSG
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Mass In G Minor: Kyrie - John Eaton (Treble)
Mass In G Minor: Gloria - John Eaton (Treble)
Mass In G Minor: Credo - John Eaton (Treble)
Sanctus - Osanna I - Benedictus - Osanna II - John Eaton (Treble)
Mass In G Minor: Agnus Dei - John Eaton (Treble)
Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice, Op. 26 - Richard Farnes (Organ)
Mater ora filium - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
God Is Gone Up, Op. 27 No. 2 - Richard Franes (Organ)
I Sing Of A Maiden That Is Makeless - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
This Worldes Joie - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Magnificat, Op. 36 - Richard Farnes (Organ)

Customer Reviews:

Bad executions??!.......2006-04-30

I'm sorry - but I just had to write something in response to "kris's" (whoever she is) review of this cd. Shock horror - no adult female voices, no sopranos and no "breathy alto entrance" in the Kyrie! Sure, this work was first perfomed by the whitsuntide singers, which would have included female singers. However, it is a Mass for goodness sake. It was written surely with R.R. Terry's (not to mention the Pope's) drive for the revival of the great latin music of Tudor composers in mind. In fact, the first liturgical performance was in the Cathedral. So to say that the performance loses anything from not having female singers is quite frankly poppycock. The great English choral foundation was founded upon the distinctive sound of the treble voice and the counter tenor - for purity and for tone. This is not to say of course that this is not achieved by female altos and sopranos - because it can be and is - but only that Tudor music is not about rich and fruity, over dramatic voices. In the context of the liturgy, the mass is certainly about high emotion - sure - but in the context of the time and style in which it was written, it is also about restraint. (See also Howell's mass in the dorian mode) This is the fine line a choir has to tread in performing this music and that is what makes this recording good (although not the best). It is certainly not "dull" or "lifeless." Diction, clarity of tone, ensemble and accuracy. What more could one want. Well, the new Westminster Cathedral recording would be a good investment! As for the Finzi and Bax - Check out the Finzi singers on Chandos.

...Just as it should be.......2003-02-22

Vaughan Williams composed his G Minor Mass for a reasonably sized double choir of men and boys voices. And that is just how the work is performed here, with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge under the direction of famed English composer/conductor Sir David Willcocks. The Kyrie is hauntingly beautiful while the rich double choir Gloria is full of richness and depth while maintaining a light buoyancy in the Allegro. This, ladies and gentleman, is how the Mass in G Minor was meant to sound.

Don't stop listening after the Vaughan Williams! Sir David passes the baton to Stephen Cleobury (conductor and English music scholar) who conducts alternating works by Gerald Finzi and Arnold Bax. Although these works will probably be new to most listeners, you will be sure to find a new favorite by the conclusion of the set. The best English composers. The best English Conductors. The best English performers. You can't go wrong!

Good Intentions, Bad Executions.......2002-12-07

It would appear that i have been duped. I bought this album for the exquisite and tender Mass in Gm, quite possibly the most emotional mass next to Bach's mass in Bm. From the breathy alto entrance of the Kyrie to the final invocation of Amen at the end of the Agnus Dei it is a rollercoaster ride through devotion. Sadly this recording of it is dull, lifeless and faulted in it's pompous belief that an English choir needs little more than to sing it. In truth it is one of the most difficult pieces of music i have ever performed and my expectations were set high. I was also saddened by the lack of adult FEMALE voices, the trebles could not dare to come close to the deep, powerful sound of the altos nor the bright, angelic sopranos. This CD isn't all bad though, the performances of 6 works by Finzi and Bax were extrordinary, i just wish that they could have brought that out in the Mass in Gm. I recommend the Corydon Singers if you are looking for a copy of the Mass.