This splendid disc of English anthems opens in suitably rousing
style with a radiant performance of Parry’s I was Glad,
composed for Edward VII’s coronation in 1902. It is possibly
taken a little too slowly for my liking here, but contains much
impressive bravura singing. The tenors, in particular, really
throw themselves into the work, and although The Sixteen expands
to twenty-six for this disc, they nevertheless still sound greater
than that modest number. No doubt this is due not just to their
superb performances, but also to the fact that the recording
venue of St Peter’s Italian Church in Clerkenwell would appear
to have a very resonant acoustic.
The Parry is followed by an especially beautiful and tender
rendition of Harris’s double-choir anthem Faire is the Heaven,
which builds to a most majestic climax before a gentle and quiet
ending. The ensuing Stanford Beati Quorum via also has
an utterly sublime ending. There is an excellent solo from Elin
Manahan Thomas in Barstow’s substantial anthem Blessed City
(based on the seventh century plainsong hymn Urbs Beata Hierusalem)
with its imposing organ part; she also sings the solo in Howard
Goodall’s The Lord is my Shepherd. Whilst it is good
to hear this glorious piece out of its Vicar of Dibley context,
I must admit that I really missed the boy soprano - it’s just
not the same!
I was delighted to discover the inclusion of what is surely
one of the greatest anthems, Bainton’s visionary And I saw
a new Heaven, as well as Henry Balfour Gardiner’s Evening
Hymn, written when the composer and great musical patron
was teaching at Winchester College. Both pieces are here given
fine performances – grand and awe-inspiring.
Although Stainer’s I saw the Lord, Howells’ exquisite
Like as the Hart and Charles Wood’s Hail Gladdening
Light are all given excellent performances, I felt that
Parry’s My Soul, there is a country was not quite nostalgic,
atmospheric or reflective enough, the rendition here being just
a little too pedestrian and unsubtle. This, however, was my
only quibble.
The disc ends with Rutter’s version of The Lord is my Shepherd
– a gentle and peaceful, rather than dramatic, conclusion. The
CD contains almost the perfect programme, and some peerless
singing from The Sixteen under their founding conductor, Harry
Christophers. Of the many discs of English anthems I’ve been
lucky enough to hear and review, few have been quite as good
as this.
Em Marshall
See also reviews by John
Quinn and Michael
Cookson
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
