I guess that a lot of purchasers of this new release will just
bang it into their CD players in the car and let rip. They will
allow this music to envelop them as they drive along the West
Lancs Road or around the M25. And there is probably nothing wrong
with that. In fact, it was only the other day that a car pulled
up at the traffic-lights at the bottom of Regent Street. The day
was hot and sunny: the windows were down. Yet the wall of sound
that nearly knocked me over was not ‘rap’ or ‘hip-hop’ – it was
the ‘Final’ from Louis Vierne’s great Sixth Symphony for Organ.
A million watts of energy and sheer naked, power! But I wonder
whether the driver was actually listening? Concentration is what
is needed for this present CD, in spite of its largely ‘popular’
appeal. It is not a fashion accessory, but a compendium of some
of the greatest and most uplifting music written in England and
performed by the country’s most the iconic choirs.
I reviewed these
CDs over a considerable time – with my remote control in my
hand. I explored. I did not listen end to end: I grouped and
contrasted and stopped and started. Fundamentally, it is always
a problem I have with a major compilation – be it Johann Sebastian
Bach, Perry Como or Jimmy Hendrix.
What tips can
I give for a logical exploration of England, My England?
Well, first of all it can be sliced vertically or horizontally,
by which I mean chronologically or by genre. I would prefer
the latter. Now I imagine that most purchasers of a double
CD of music by the world’s greatest ‘church’ choir (not just
my opinion!) will have a certain sympathy with religious and
liturgical music even if they do not sit in the choir stalls
or the pews twice on a Sunday! So, perhaps the first group
of pieces to explore are the Hymns. These are the ones that
my late mother would have wanted to listen to. She was always
singing them around the house and enjoyed hearing them sung
by a good choir. All the big hitters are here. The ultimately
tragic Abide with Me written by Henry Francis Lyte
as he lay dying from tuberculosis and later to become a favourite
of the Military and the F.A. Cup Final. The fine processional
Praise my Soul the King of Heaven, the masterpiece
of hymnology by Vaughan Williams, Come down of Love Divine
and his Coronation arrangement of the massive Old Hundredth-
All People that on Earth do Dwell. But King’s College
do not forget the more intimate moments associated with the
service of Evensong. Favourites include Orlando Gibbons exquisite
Drop, drop slow tears and the ever popular The Day
that thou gavest Lord is ended is beautifully sung.
I am pleased that
the compilers of these CDs have chosen to include a few examples
of that great Church of England gift to musical endeavour
– the Anglican Chant. So often these chants are performed
by choirs and congregations doing their very best, but not
quite getting there. They are to be commended for this effort
and their upholding of ‘tradition’. But for sheer perfection
King’s College takes some beating. Four Psalms are presented
here – including Oh how amiable are thy dwellings,
The Lord is my Shepherd and the last psalm in the Psalter
– O Praise God in his holiness. The Book of Psalms is
one of most spiritual and inspiring in the Good Book and deserves
both thought and attention. For my money it is always helpful
to hear them chanted, as opposed to the metrical versions
so often heard in Free Churches or worse still, to the machinations
of a Church Music Group – strumming guitars and the inevitable
keyboard!
The next tranche
to explore could be the liturgical pieces. Rutter’s Pie
Jesu and Requiem aeternam will appeal to people
who like his music! William Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus
could well be used at a High Church service of the Benediction
of the Holy Sacrament and add vitally to its numinous atmosphere.
Britten’s Jubilate Deo probably does not get many outings
in parish churches across the nation, but it certainly deserves
it place here, with its quicksilver organ accompaniment. Ralph
Vaughan Williams’s great Mass in G minor is represented with
the stunningly beautiful Kyrie: it is a perfect fusion of
Tudor and 20th Century choral music. The Victorian masters
are well represented with Stanford’s fine Magnificat in G.
This is one of my favourite settings of this inspiring text.
Then there are
the potboilers. Zadok the Priest from the pen of that
honorary Englishman, George Frederic Handel gets the first
disc off to a great start. Another Coronation anthem, Parry’s
I was Glad closes the proceedings. Parry is also represented
with his ubiquitous Jerusalem. One wonders just how
many singers of this hymn know who wrote the words or the
music and has a clue as to what it means? Holst appears with
an extract from the Planets Suite- I vow to thee,
my country. Often regarded by certain elements in the
political spectrum as being imperialistic and jingoistic,
this work has once again taken its place in the repertoire
after it was used by the Prince and Princess of Wales at their
wedding in 1981. I suggest to detractors from this great song
that they read the words – the ‘other country’ is not Blighty
as they want to believe, but the Kingdom of Heaven! And lastly,
there is the great Hallelujah Chorus. I wonder if people
still stand for this, and if they know why?
Anthems are well
represented here with Tallis’s magnificent construction for
forty parts – Spem in Alium. Another of his fine works
is the beautiful O nata lux de lumine. One work I did
not know was Balfour Gardner’s Evening Hymn. It is
a truly lovely and haunting piece. It is sad that so little
of his music has survived. Stanford’s Beati quorum via
and Vaughan Williams Antiphon are two important works
that are well established in the repertoire, though I like
to hear the latter as part of a full performance of the Five
Mystical Songs. Other composers represented by anthems
include Henry Purcell, Robert Parsons, Thomas Weelkes, Orlando
Gibbons, Edward Bairstow, John Ireland and John Taverner.
However, my favourite of this group is the delicious and utterly
moving Faire is the heaven by William Harris. It is
worth buying the album for this alone!
Then there are
the unclassifiables. I wonder what possessed anyone (John
Cameron did, bless him) to set the Lux Aeterna to the
great ninth variation, Nimrod, from Elgar’s Enigma
Variations. It is all wrong. Although I guess it works
(sort of) musically, I hate the idea of hacking around a masterpiece.
As a musical snob, I only tolerate Nimrod at the Remembrance
Day Parade, out of respect for the bravery of the women and
men commemorated. It needs to be in its designated place
between the 8th and the 10th variations
and nowhere else.
If a militant
atheist was given this CD as a present at least they would
have two pieces they could listen to with a clear conscience.
Firstly there is Purcell’s fine Come ye sons of art away
from the Birthday Ode for Queen Mary for soloists,
chorus and instruments. And secondly there is the exquisite
To be sung of a summer night on the water by Fred.
Delius. I rate this alongside Stanford’s Bluebird for
sheer beauty and perfection.
The title of the
CD is refreshingly ambiguous. Different people will read different
things into it. I thought of D.H. Lawrence’s short story,
a friend suggested that it was derived from the largely forgotten
poet W.H. Henley’s largely forgotten poem “What have I done
for you/England, my England”. And then there was a film about
the life of Henry Purcell with that name...
Whatever the derivation
of this title, this double CD is great value and is a fine
introduction to English Choral music. This is sung with the
unmistakable King’s College sound that evokes the atmosphere
of the fundamentally Christian religious sensibilities of
this country. This is a CD that can be enjoyed by all lovers
of choral music, irrespective of their belief. It is a CD
that manifests the spirit of Christianity as well as the long
tradition of that faith in England and her music.
John France
List of works:
George Frederic Handel Zadok the Priest
Edward Elgar arr. John Cameron Lux aeterna
John Goss Hymn: Praise my soul, the king of heaven
Thomas Tallis Spem in alium
John Goss Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd
George Frederic Handel Hallelujah Chorus
John Rutter Requiem : Pie Jesu
Ralph Vaughan Williams Hymn: Come down, O love divine
Thomas Tallis O nata lux de lumine
Henry Balfour Gardiner Evening Hymn: Te lucis ante
terminum
William Byrd Ave verum corpus
Edward Miller arr. John Rutter Hymn: When I survey
the wondrous cross
Charles Villiers Stanford Beati quorum via
Ralph Vaughan Williams Antiphon - Let all the world
in every corner sing
William Byrd Iustorum animae
Henry Purcell Come ye sons of art away - Symphony
solo & chorus
William Harris Faire is the heaven
Edward Bairstow Psalm 67: God be merciful unto us
Robert Parsons Ave Maria
Louis Bourgeois arr. Ralph
Vaughan Williams & Roy Douglas Hymn:
All people that on earth do dwell
Charles Hubert Hastings Parry Jerusalem
John Rutter Requiem: Requiem aeternam
Gustav Holst I vow to thee, my country
John Tavener Song for Athene
W.H. Monk
Hymn: Abide with me
Charles Villiers Stanford Magnificat in G
Henry Purcell Thou knowest, Lord
Orlando Gibbons Hosanna to the son of David
C.C. Scholefield
arr. John Rutter Hymn: The day thou
gavest, Lord is ended
Charles Hubert Hastings Parry Psalm 84: O how amiable
are thy dwellings
Ralph Vaughan Williams Mass in G minor: Kyrie
John Ireland Greater love hath no man
Thomas Tallis If ye love me
Charles Hubert Hastings Parry Hymn: Dear Lord and
Father of mankind
Benjamin Britten Jubilate Deo
Orlando Gibbons Hymn: Drop, drop slow tears
Frederick Delius To be sung of a summer night on the water
Robert Philip Goodenough
Psalm 150: O praise God in his holiness
Thomas Weelkes When David heard
Charles Hubert Hastings Parry I was glad
Choir of King’s
College Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury, Philip Ledger, Sir David Willcocks
