The majority of the pieces included in this collection date from
what was surely a Golden Age of English church music, the period
that ran, very roughly, from about 1890 to 1950. The programme
comprises some of the jewels of the repertoire of all English
cathedral choirs and while most of them have appeared in countless
collections before one is glad to encounter them again like old
familiar friends, and to admire them as prime examples of the
genre.
Rightly, Parry
and Stanford find their place here – though Stanford’s representation
by a single piece seems a trifle meagre. However, his wonderful
Beati quorum via receives a lovely performance, the
seraphic lines spun beautifully by the choir, who sing with
effortless legato and great purity of tone. Parry’s I was
glad opens the recital majestically. I don’t know how
many singers were involved – twenty-six names are listed in
the booklet, though not all appear in every item. I suspect
most were pressed into service for this piece for the choral
sound is rich and full. Parry’s more intimate vein is shown
in My soul, there is a country, the first of his Songs
of Farewell and The Sixteen give a subtle, refined account
of it.
Refinement is
also the keynote of the rendition of the gorgeous Howells
anthem, one of his loveliest creations. This is quintessential
Howells, the harmonies full of gentle ecstasy, and the enviable
long melody with which it opens is meat and drink to the male
singers here.
In a quite different
vein is Balfour Gardiner’s magnificent Evening Hymn.
The outer sections are thrilling and very grand while the
more reflective central section is done with finesse. However,
whilst I don’t wish to seem ungrateful I just found a thought
developing at the back of my mind that the performance, for
all its great skill and assurance, was perhaps just a bit
too easily achieved by an expert group of professional singers.
Just to test my suspicion I put on the recording by St Paul’s
Cathedral Choir under John Scott (The English Anthem
– Vol 1 Hyperion CDA66374) and there was the sense of frisson
that is not quite there in this new recording, excellent though
it is. In the St Paul’s account you feel the singers are giving
their all, almost straining at the leash, and the cutting
edge of the trebles adds an extra tingle factor.
From the power
of Gardiner’s piece one retreats, as it were to the rarefied
atmosphere of Harris’s great masterpiece, Faire is the
heaven. For years my favourite recording of this glorious
piece has been the one by John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers
(COLCD 107 or COLCD 302). This new one is a very serious rival
indeed. Harris’s luminous vision of the celestial spaces is
raptly presented by Christophers and his choir. The separation
of the double choir is well managed and the performance seems
to be bathed in a gentle golden light. This is one of the
highlights of the disc.
Mention of John
Rutter reminds me that he is one of two living composers represented
here and, coincidentally, both are represented by a setting
of the same text, Psalm 23. Rutter’s setting, later incorporated
into his Requiem, though it retains its identity as
a separate anthem, benefits from the composer’s felicitous
melodic gift. His is a memorable, gently eloquent setting
that sits comfortably beside the fine pieces already mentioned.
I wish I could say the same for Howard Goodall’s piece but,
sadly, its juxtaposition next to the pieces by, say, Stanford
or Charles Wood, show that it is shallow by comparison. The
melody is, frankly, trite and the accompaniment is simplistic
and adds little to the piece where, by contrast, Rutter’s
setting features an interesting accompaniment and greater
harmonic invention. I felt also that the sheer sophistication
of the performance was more than Goodall’s music could take,
whereas Rutter – and the other composers – benefit from this
degree of polish.
But the Goodall
piece and possibly the Stainer, which sounds rather conventional
and foursquare, were the only two offerings that didn’t fully
engage my interest and sympathies in this recital. As I’ve
indicated already, the singing of The Sixteen is superb. The
tone and balance are quite splendid and you’ll go a long way
to find better performances of this repertoire. Many of the
pieces feature organ accompaniment and Robert Quinney makes
a magnificent contribution. He plays an instrument originally
built by Charles Anneessens in 1886, which was restored in
1959 and again in 1995. It sounds very well indeed here, whether
in full majestic cry, as in I was glad, for example,
or providing a subtle, reflective backdrop to the Howells.
The engineers have captured the instrument expertly and they
have been equally successful in recording the choir, both
on its own and in combination with the organ.
The documentation
is somewhat disappointing. The notes are serviceable but no
texts are supplied.
There are many such anthologies on the
market but this excellent one makes a strong claim for the
attention of collectors.
John Quinn
see also Review
by Michael Cookson
Elin Manahan
Thomas (soprano)*; Robert Quinney (organ); The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
