Classical Editor: Rob Barnett
 

Music Webmaster
Len Mullenger: Len@musicweb-international.com



O SACRUM CONVIVIUM
Leeds Cathedral Boys Choir. Leeds Cathedral Choir.
Julie Crosby (organ) Joseph Cullen (director).
Foxglove Audio F0X036.
Available from Foxglove Audio. 10 Springwood Road, Rawdon, Leeds, LS19 6BH, UK Telephone and fax 0113 250 7282, e-mail foxgloveaudio@btinternet.com

I was privileged to know the organist Arnold Richardson, a splendid man and a fine organist. I once asked him define what a choirboy was. His jolly, red face burst into life and he said,"A choir boy is an unsatisfactory alternative to a choirgirl." Was he being sexist? Oh, no. I asked him to define a choirgirl. He laughed heartily and said, "A choirgirl is an unsatisfactory alternative to a choirboy."

There is something about boy's voices which many of us find distracting. They seem to have a shrill edge at times, a piercing quality whereas girl's voices do not.

This collection of 19 items is a curious mixture of a programme and quality. Somervell's magnificence tune to Praise to the Holiest in the Height is wonderfully realised with a grandeur devoid of Edwardian pomposity. There is space in this performance without dragging and what a good tune it is. The plainsong is a welcome step back in time when churches had that essential ingredient of reverence now so sadly lacking with the surge of the Pentecostal and charismatic cults. The Mozart Jubilate Deo is a very strange performance . It does not sound like Mozart but Victorian England. The Victoria pieces fared better but I would like a little more space and atmosphere. But it is beautiful music with superb harmonic progressions. One of the boys' entries is suspect. There is a lovely, deep, liturgical sound in Hilton's O sacrum convivium and the choir's director contributes one of his pieces. The two Elgar pieces, Ave Maria Stella and 0 Salutaris Hostia are very poor pieces . We have the Corpus Christi Carol by Britten which I suppose is obligatory when making a recording including a boys' choir.

The organ is a superb instrument and the inadequate CD notes should have told us about it.

The performances vary but the recorded sound is good and, believe me, churches and their organs are the most difficult to record.

Reviewer

David Wright

Performances

Recording


Reviewer

David Wright

Performances

Recording


Reviews from previous months


You can purchase CDs, tickets and musician's accessories and Save around 22% with these retailers :

BlackStar.co.uk - The UK's Biggest Video Store


Concert and Show tickets

Ticketlinks

Musicians accessories

Click here to visit piedog.com



Return to Index