The school of French sacred choral music is where unerring elegance
and appealing melodic invention meet pious veneration. Titled
Quam dilecta(How lovely) this collection
of 21 small-scale Latin pieces for devotional use in the Roman
Catholic liturgy certainly fits that description.
This Regent project is sung by the Choir of Christ’s College,
Cambridge, founded in 1437. Now a mixed student choir on this
recording they number 10 sopranos, 7 altos, 5 tenors and 7 basses.
This is their typical size.
In accordance with the liturgical trend of the time many of
the scores are written in veneration of the Virgin Mary. It
is surprising how many connections there are between the four
French composers Camille Saint-Saëns, Vincent d’Indy,
Gabriel Fauré and Déodat de Sévérac;
all were Paris-based for varying lengths of time.
Saint-Saëns and Fauré are undoubtedly the best known
of the four. A prolific composer Saint-Saëns was very active
in the field of sacred works. Of his larger scale sacred choral
works the most noteworthy are the Messe Solennelle for
four solo voices, chorus, orchestra and organ, op. 4 (1855/56),
the Oratorio de Noël for soloists, chorus, quartet
of strings, harp and organ, op. 12 (1858) and the Requiem
Mass for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op. 54 (1878).The
latter is an especially underrated work that deserves to be
heard far more often. There is also the Psalm 18,Coeli
enarrant for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op. 42 (1865)
and the Psalm 150, Praise ye the Lord for double-chorus
of mixed voices, orchestra and organ, op. 127 (c. 1908) - works
I have yet to hear. Saint-Saëns wrote duplicate settings
of several smaller sacred works such as the O salutaris,
Ave maria, Veni Creator and Tangum ergo.
On this release Saint-Saëns is represented by five of the
smaller settings of which the pick is Quam dilecta for
choir and organ, op. 148 (1915). This is a tender and affecting
motet with a sensitively written and atmospheric organ part.
Incidentally Saint-Saëns himself was an organist of great
repute having been organist for twenty years at L'église
de la Madeleine, Paris. The haunting Ave Maria for choir
and organ, op. 145 (1914) is beautiful in its devotion to the
Virgin Mary. For unaccompanied choir, the neo-Renaissance Ave
verum corpus in E flat major has a stark beauty. I also
greatly enjoyed the enchanting Ave verum corpus,a
D major setting for female choir and organ.
A pupil of Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Fauré followed his
teacher’s lead and wrote a considerable number of sacred
choral scores. The most famous of these by far is the renowned
Messe de Requiem, op. 48 (1887-1900) one the most
performed and recorded sacred scores. Also occasionally encountered
is the Cantique de Jean Racine, op. 11 (1863-65) and
the Messe Basse (1888-1907). Fauré is represented
by settings on this release. I especially enjoyed the O salutaris
hostia, op. 47/1 sung with yearning reverence by the soprano
chorus with organ accompaniment. There’s also a highly
attractive short Maria, Mater gratiae, op. 47/2 (1888)
movingly delivered by soprano Marie Lemaire and alto Hetty Boardman-Weston
with organ accompaniment. The women’s choir with organ
piece, Ave verum corpus, op. 65/1 (1894) is a gracious
devotion to the Virgin Mary. It’s rather an anonymous
and unmemorable piece. By contrast the Tantum ergo, op.
65/2 (1894) scored for two sopranos and an alto with organ sung
by Rachel Thomas, Carys Brown and Hetty Boardman-Weston is well
worth hearing. I was also mightily impressed by the two pieces
for solo soprano with organ (1894-95): the Salve Regina,
op. 67/1 and the Ave Maria, op. 67/2 which Rachel Thomas
sings with an exquisitely chaste tone.
Allowing for the distinguished Chandos orchestral series Vincent
d’Indy’s wonderful Romantic music is rarely encountered
today. An associate of Saint-Saëns, d’Indy was founder
member and director of the Schola Cantorum de Paris,
an organisation that nurtured a revival of interest in Gregorian
chant and music of the Italian Renaissance in the style of Palestrina.
D’Indy is represented here by four motets. Of particular
note is the Ave Regina coelorum with its chromatic part-writing
for unaccompanied voices, op. 79 (1922). It is given an intensely
satisfying performance. The Deus Israel conjungat vos
for 4/6 parts, op. 41 (1896) is a substantial score at over
6 minutes and is cast in two sections. The complex writing is
well served by the assured soloists.
Déodat de Sévérac studied under d’Indy
and Magnard in Paris at the Schola Cantorum. Only a small
number of Sévérac’s sacred choral works
have survived and four of them appear here. I especially enjoyed
the lightly chromatic motet Ave verum corpus (1898) for
two soprano soloists with organ. This is sung with radiant devotional
expression by Amy Puttick and Carys Brown. Written in a relatively
simple style I found the late motet Tantum ergo (1920)
for unaccompanied choir spiritually comforting throughout.
Clearly relishing this programme the choir, scrupulously prepared
under the direction of Professor David Rowland is in inspiring
voice. Their impressive vocal sonority, reverence and unity
produce cascades of attractive sound. All of this is coupled
with pin-point precision. Organist Roxy Summerfield, a Cambridge
University graduate, plays with real credit throughout. The
recording was made in March 2011 a short distance from their
own chapel at Jesus College which I am informed is a much quieter
location. Crystal clear and well balanced sound can be enjoyed
in this satisfying church acoustic. In all respects this Regent
release is nothing short of stunning.
Michael Cookson
Track Listing
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921)
Quam dilecta, op. 148 (1915) [4:43]
Ave Maria, op. 145 (1914) [3:30]
Ave verum corpus [4:57)
Offertoire (1904) [4:47]
Ave verum corpus [5:52]
Déodat De SÉVÉRAC
(1872-1921)
O sacrum convivial [4:00]
Ave verum corpus (1898) [2:57]
Tantum ergo (1920) (2:33]
Salve Regina [2:53]
Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Tantum ergo (1904) [2:12]
Tantum ergo, op. 65/2 (1894) [2:54]
O salutaris hostia, op. 47/1 [2:52]
Ave Maria, op. 67/2 (1894-95) [2:17]
Salve Regina, op. 67/1 (1894-95) [2:40]
Maria, Mater gratiae, op. 47/2 (1888) [2:13]
Ecce fidelis servus, op. 54 [1:37]
Ave verum corpus, op. 65/1 (1894) [3:14]
Vincent d’INDY (1851-1931)
Ave Regina coelorum, op. 79 (1922) [2:09]
O Domina mea, op. 88 [3:00]
Sancta Maria, succurre miseris, op. 49 [1:39]
Deus Israel conjungat vos, op. 41 (1896) [6:08]
The Choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge/David Rowland 