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The Bells of the Angelus – Hymns and Anthems
from Ireland
Salve Regina (Gregorian chant) [1:38]
The Bells of the Angelus (Trad. arr. David Mooney) [3:10]
Lord of All Hopefulness (Trad. arr. Mooney) [3:22]
Fáilte Romhat, a Ri na nAingeal (Trad. arr. Mooney) [2:16]
Queen of the May (Trad. arr. Mooney) [3:26] Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) Pie
Jesu [3:14]
Deus Meus (Trad. arr. Mooney) [3:45] Sean O RIADA Ag Criost an Siol (iada)
3:21
Is Maith an Bhean Muire Mhor (Trad. arr Mooney) 1:54
A Iosa, Glan Mo Chroise (Trad. arr. Mooney) [1:49] César FRANCK (1822-1890) Panis
Angelicus [4:05]
An tAiséiri (Trad. arr. Mooney) [1:31]
Dochas Linn Naomh Pádraig (Trad. arr Mooney) [2:15]
Hail Glorious St Patrick (Trad. Arr. Mooney) [2:13] Felix MENDELSSOHN (1810-1847) Oh,
For the Wings of a Dove [6:44] William MAHER Soul
of My Saviour [2:46]
Bi ‘Iosa im’Chroise (Trad) [3:26]
Hail, Queen of Heaven (Trad) [4:08] Georg Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) I
Know That My Redeemer Liveth [6:38] JosephHAYDN(1732-1809) Missa
Brevis in F (Hob XXII:I)
Tantum Ergo (Gregorian Chant) [1:19].
Blánaid Murphy (organ); Denise
Kelly (harp), Gerard Gillen, David Connolly (organ)
Palestrina Choir and Orchestra of St Cecilia, St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin/Brona
Murphy
rec. St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, 2006 PRO-CATHEDRAL
DUBLIN 689076384 155 [76:10]
To
be sure, to be sure, this CD from The Emerald Isle is for
everyone who likes fine voices and excellent presentation.
I
admit that I had to listen a few times before understanding
just how the producer John Barnes, engineer J.R. Wearn and
mastering engineers managed to cope with the massive reverb
of the Pro-Cathedral Mary Chapel, Dublin. Simple really,
they faced it head-on at a time the 13th century
building experienced bits of it falling down. The building
was last restored to full strength in Victorian times then
needing repair occasionally because it is too close to the
River Liffey so slips and slides on peat foundations.
It
is called a ‘Pro-Cathedral’ because the original St. Mary’s
was disestablished under the English rule of Ireland, thus
there is an entirely Catholic cathedral not far away, called
St Patrick’s. The overall result is that Dublin boasts two
wonderful cathedrals and no one bothers much about religious
differences. The city also has numerous churches and chapels
with less challenging acoustics than “The Pro”, as Dubliners
call it.
The
key work on the CD is the Haydn Missa Brevis in F, brought
off here by the choristers and gentlemen of the Palestrina
Choir to perfection. It’s a young sound from a very young
Haydn but it has such authority.
Especially
notable is how director Blánaid Murphy holds her tempi to
account for the long reverb in the Sanctus of the Haydn and
throughout. Here fidelity is the aim and the whole effect
is nearly perfect with the engineers in as close as fielders
to a master batsman. That said, there are limits to how slowly
one can go.
Ms
Murphy, the Orchestra of St Cecilia under Brona Fitzgerald
and organists Gerard Gillen and David Connolly make a superb
team.
The
Mendelssohn ‘Dove’ pop item (track 15) is a bit wobbly but
the Fauré ‘Pie Jesu’ (track 6) is really lovely. Then we
get the rest: some familiar and some not but I can fault
nothing in performance. I have lived long enough in Ireland
to pick up here the nuances of how critical Hibernian this
music-making truly is. Track 2, ‘Bells of the Angelus’ could
so easily be sentimental but not here under stern precision.
In
track 7 ‘My God Help Me’, sung in a Latin translation to
an Irish tune with harp, violin, organ and other instruments,
Mooney has a Celtic triumph without a trace of sugar. It
is followed immediately with Ag Criost an Siol, which uses
the harp again and a small chorus. It is based on a tune
from Donegal or Derry, if my memory is correct. Many tunes
from the Ulster Plantation period can be traced to Scotland,
England and France but the Irish have their own ways of doing
things. The items in Irish - translations in the excellent
insert - are all successful in arrangements by David Mooney.
Track
11 by Franck is the only blemish on the CD because the engineers
put the voice too far forward and the recording cracks but
the Handel ‘Redeemer’ (track 19) as the last of the European
mainstream before the gorgeous Haydn ‘Missa Brevis’ is totally
satisfying. Track 17, Bi ‘Iosa im’ Chroise with a boy alto
against harp is my own treasure of this CD because perfection
is ephemeral and the singer is probably now a baritone! The
tune from Co. Kerry is carried off to perfection and maybe
for the last time in the case of this singer with a voice
close to breaking when this marvellous CD was recorded in
2006.
High
quality audio gear and a good outboard DAC show this music
at its best but such a treat of varied repertoire from the
land of poets, priests, rain and music in the soul is also
a must for the car CD on a long journey.
Plenty
for everybody and brilliantly carried off on all fronts.
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