It’s an interesting idea for the choir
of St. John’s College, Oxford to present
a CD of music inspired by the patron
saint of the college. The only trouble
is that the project seems to have run
slightly out of steam, due, I assume,
to a lack of sufficient music directly
connected to the saint, though I take
the point made in the notes that the
Purcell anthems "take up and comment
on St. John’s themes of divine judgement
and blessing."
Some of the music included
has very strong links with the college
itself. Gibbons’ justly celebrated anthem
This is the record of John, which
is well done here, featuring a fine,
clear tenor solo from William Unwin,
was written in 1620 for William Laud,
the future Archbishop of Canterbury,
who was President of St. John’s 1611-21.
It was also Laud who commissioned the
anthem by Michael East, which after
nearly five centuries finally receives
its first recording here. Thanks to
a generous benefaction the college’s
role in commissioning new music has
been revived in the last few years and
pieces by Pärt, O’Regan, Wigglesworth
and Wilby are among the first fruits.
Of the new works, the
Wilby Proclamation is a lively
and arresting piece. Arvo Pärt’s
offering does not sound to me to break
any new compositional ground for him
but it’s still an effective and contemplative
work for choir and organ. Though generally
restrained in tone it makes a definite
impression on the listener. Tarik O’Regan
sets an antiphon, versicle and prayer
for chorus with a discreet and highly
atmospheric organ part. Mainly subdued
in tone, it rises to a very brief and
effective climax before the final ‘Amen’.
I thought this was an impressive piece
by a composer with a distinctive voice
and a genuine feeling for choral writing.
His piece gets a suitably devoted performance.
Ryan Wigglesworth, the college’s Kendrew
Music Student, has chosen a rather unusual
source for his a cappella piece,
Collect for St. John the Baptist.
The text is taken from a New Zealand
Prayer Book. The brief setting makes
good use of dissonance and is simple
and direct in style.
I admire the enterprise
that has seen the choir unearth two
items, by East and Isaac, from the seventeenth-
and fifteenth-century respectively that
have not yet been recorded. Both merit
their inclusion here.
With the Purcell items,
of course, the choir face much more
competition on CD. However, I find that
they acquit themselves well and the
five anthems make a satisfying appendix
to the programme inspired by St. John.
Ryan Wigglesworth does
most of the conducting but two of the
college’s three Organ Scholars also
lend a hand. Duncan Whitmore directs
the Wilby and Pärt pieces while
those by East, O’Regan and, somewhat
surprisingly, by Wigglesworth himself
(I would have expected him to direct
his own music), are entrusted to Peter
Buisseret. All three seem to get equally
good results from the choir. The third
Organ Scholar, David Baskeyfield, makes
a very effective contribution from the
organ loft.
The choir sings well.
They are clearly recorded in the pleasing
acoustic of Merton College Chapel. The
singers are well balanced against each
other and sing with the freshness and
purity that one always hopes to hear
in good student choirs. Their commitment
is evident, though never overdone.
The production values
of this CD are high. The performances
are good as is the recorded sound. Very
useful notes are provided as are the
texts and, where appropriate, English
translations. There are some very nice
illustrations as well. This CD has the
feel of a recording that the artists
involved wanted to make and it’s
clear that a good deal of care has gone
into putting everything together. I
enjoyed the recital very much and am
happy to recommend it.
John Quinn
The Choir of St. John’s College, Oxford/Ryan
Wigglesworth, Duncan Whitmore and Peter Buisseret.
