"Kenneth Leighton's music is at the heart of English Cathedral
repertoire," so says the introduction to Hyperion's earlier disc of the
composer's choral music from Wells Cathedral (
CDA67641). During the couple of years I spent in
Oxford it certainly seemed that way. I can remember quite vividly that his
music often featured at choral evensong and other services, and I especially
remember a performance given by the Choir of Magdalen College in which they
sung the piece that Leighton had composed for them, the Magnificat and Nunc
dimittis 'Collegium Magdalenae Oxoniense', absolutely magical.
This is in fact the third disc devoted to the cathedral music of Leighton
released by Hyperion. Whilst the disc mentioned above does not duplicate any
of the music featured on this new disc, the earliest, which featured the
Choir of St Paul's Cathedral, and which is now on their budget price Helios
label (
CDH55195), does, indeed duplicate half the music presented
here. Don't let that deter you from investigating this new disc. Good though
the earlier disc is, and I will never be without out it, in the twenty-four
years since it was recorded, tastes and performing practices seem to have
changed, not least when it comes to tempos. There have been a number of fine
recordings in the intervening years, not least those by the Finzi Singers on
Chandos
(CHAN 9485), and the Choir of St John's College
Cambridge on Naxos (
8.555795). Whereas St Paul's now sounds a little too slow, St John's
under Christopher Robinson can be a little too quick at times. Here Stephen
Layton, along with Paul Spicer and the Finzis, adopt a more measured
approach, with tempos falling between the two extremes, and for me, this
works best.
The disc opens with the finest recording I have heard of Leighton's first
attempt at a Mag and Nunc, the 'Collegium Magdalenae Oxoniense'. It makes me
long to be back in Oxford. This is followed by excellent recordings of a
couple of short pieces. Then comes the
Missa Brevis, where once
again the Trinity College Choir shines. The organ interlude is in the form
of the
Ite, missa est from the Missa de Gloria, also known as the
Dublin Festival Mass, a forty minute organ work based on a 12
th
century Salisbury Chant for Easter Day. It's virtually identical in timing
to my copy of Dennis Townhill's recording of the complete organ works on
Priory (PRCD 326), but with a crisper and more defined recording. The second
half of this choral feast begins with the wonderful
What love is this of
thine?, which is one of my favourites of the composer's choral works,
and the
Second Service. This setting of the Mag and Nunc comes
twelve years after his first for Magdalen College, and as a result the
setting is more representative of Leighton's mature and more individual
style, an excellent work. The final work is the ever popular
Crucifixus
pro nobis, a wonderful piece of choral writing with a solo tenor part
here sung by Andrew Kennedy. Of the four versions I own this new one has
quickly become my first choice. It is not just a question of tempos as
mentioned above, but also one of interpretation, as I find Kennedy's singing
of the solo part preferable to the others - a beautiful end to an
exceptional disc.
All the performers, whether singers or organists are on really fine form,
with Stephen Layton certainly bringing out the best from his forces. Ted
Tregear's booklet notes, which were compiled with the assistance of the
composer's daughter Angela, give a good insight into the life of the
composer and his music. The recorded sound is also first rate. The engineers
have captured the performances in a sympathetic and pleasing acoustic, which
is no mean feat when you realise that most of the music was recorded in the
cavernous space of Lincoln Cathedral.
Stuart Sillitoe
