I have always loved John Rutter’s music because it communicates
so easily with the audience. His religious music never preaches
to you; it can be accepted as a beautiful musical experience
even for those who aren’t religious. The Gloria has
a rather brash outgoing persona, but that’s no bad thing.
It was written to a commission from the USA. The scoring for
brass and a handful of percussion instruments is perfect for
this most celebratory of works. Written in three sections, the
outer ones are driven by strong rhythms and triumphant shouts
from the chorus, whilst the central movement is a gentle and
restrained prayer setting the words beginning Domine Deus,
Rex coelestis (O Lord God, Heavenly King). Rutter
has obviously taken to heart the concept of dancing for joy -
that there is praise in the dance (just think of the poem Tomorrow
shall be my dancing day). This work positively trips the
light fantastic in every bar. It’s a marvellous piece of
praise and a wonderful composition. Full marks to this remarkable
composer - and when you look at his list of works you realise
just how remarkable he is - for his ability to write such a work
and delight us all.
I have never thought of Leonard Bernstein as a major composer
for the concert hall, but he was a genius when writing for the
Broadway stage. Since his death there has been a growing band
of admirers who assert his concert music’s greatness and
significance. Recordings abound of these pieces, but, to me,
they are negligible at best. I won’t go into what I consider
them to be at worst. Occasionally, a concert work surfaces and
pleases - the 1st Symphony shows
the path he didn’t take as a composer and that is our loss
- but many of them were Broadway-derived - the Symphonic Dances
from West Side Story, Candide Overture and the Three
Dance Episodes from On The Town. The Chichester Psalms is
one of his truly great works not conceived for the Great White
Way. Written for the 1965 Southern Cathedrals Festival this is
a joyous celebration, in the same outgoing manner as the Rutter Gloria.
Written for chorus with brass, strings and percussion, Bernstein
made a version for use when an orchestra couldn’t be found,
or, one imagines, afforded, for organ, harp and percussion; it
is this version which is used here. After a short introduction
the first setting, of Psalm 100, is superb in its extrovert nature.
This is as catchy as any tune from any of his musicals. The middle
setting starts with a boy treble with female voices singing Psalm
23. This is brutally interrupted by the men screaming words from
Psalm 2 - Why do the nations rage? - and the movement
ends with the two combining in slightly uncomfortable agreement.
The final setting, of Psalm 131, starts with one of Bernstein’s
over-the-top intensely emotional outbursts, with high tortured
strings and scrunchy harmonies guaranteed to appeal directly
to the heart. When this music is played by the organ, as it is
here, the emotional impact is lessened. That is no bad thing
for it allows the setting of the words Lord, Lord, My heart
is not haughty to seem less elevated than they do in the
orchestral edition. This scaled-down version is a better showcase
for the words and sentiments set. I was surprised to read in
T.C. Brown’s - I suppose this to be the conductor Timothy
Brown - very good note in the booklet that some of the material
for the Chichester Psalms came from discarded Broadway
music. A chorus in the Prologue to West Side Story became
the setting of Psalm 2 and an unfinished musical The Skin
of Our Teeth provided material for the whole work. Perhaps
this explains its sheer enjoyment value. In the long run who
cares? This is a great work, as is the Rutter, and these performances
by the choir of Clare College are excellent and well worth having,
even if you have other versions.
Poulenc’s religious pieces bring one back down to earth.
After the heady brew of Rutter and Bernstein this is like drinking
a glass of cold water, so pure and simple are his works. The
emotion is different here, much restraint and deference, and
there is a great deal of anguish in the Litanies à la
Vierge Noire. The Corydon Singers perform these miniatures
very well, responding to every nuance with a wide range of dynamic
and feeling.
This is a very attractive collection of modern(ish) religious
music which is entertaining as well as enlightening, and it is
well worth having. Don’t miss it on any account.
Bob Briggs
Choir of Clare College; Cambridge;
Lawrence Zazzo (counter-tenor); Rachel Masters (harp); Jonathan Brown (organ);
The Wallace Collection; Timothy Brown; Richard
Pearce (organ); Corydon Singers; Matthew Best (Poulenc only) 
