I post these playlists weekly with the hope that you might find them useful as you plan your programs. All of my playlists are on Spotify for you to enjoy at your convenience.
GSM – December 30, 2018 https://spoti.fi/2QbIOph
Don’t forget that we have more choral and organ music programmed
on Sunday evenings beginning at 10 p.m. eastern.
Rob Kennedy
WCPE The Classical Station
Web: TheClassicalStation.org
Facebook: www.facebook/theclassicalstation
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William Selby: Ode for the New Year
Early Music New York, Frederick Renz
Wikipedia states: “William Selby (1738–1798 was an early American composer, organist and choirmaster. Born in England, he emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts. In 1774 he became the organist at Trinity Church, Newport. Three years later, Selby became organist at King’s Chapel in Boston where he organized the first colonial music festival.”
Owain Park: Ave maris stella
Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, Stephen Layton
Owain Park is a British choral composer and conductor, born in Bristol in 1993.
Traditional English, arr. by Ken Cormier: What Child is this?
Chor Leoni, Erick Lichte
Ken Cormier, piano
Founded in 1992, Chor Leoni is one of the top men’s choruses in the world today. The late Diane Loomer (1940-2012) directed the ensemble from its founding until her death in 2012.
Francis Poulenc: O magnum mysterium
King’s Singers
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) wrote this beautiful Christmas motet in 1952 after he returned to Catholicism. It is one of four motets he composed for the season.
Witold Lutoslawski: Jesus, lovely flower
BBC Symphony Orchestra; Philharmonia Chorus, David Zinman
Julia Doyle, soprano
Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1944) wrote his “Twenty Polish Christmas Carols” for piano and voice in 1946. He orchestrated them in 1985.
J.S. Bach: In dulci jubilo
Richard Marlow, organ
1975 Metzler organ in Trinity College, Cambridge
Richard Marlow (1939-2013) was Fellow and Director of Music at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1968-2006.
Commentary – The Very Reverend Jean Vail
Francisco Guerrero: Pastores loquebantur
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
This anthem is a setting of the Matins Responsory for Christmas, Luke 2:8-16.
John Rutter: Christ is the morning star
The Cambridge Singers; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, John Rutter
This Advent carol was written in 2013 for Clare College Choir and Graham Ross.
Michael Praetorius: Puer natus in Bethlehem
Taverner Consort, Choir & Players, Andrew Parrott
Emma Kirkby, soprano; Nigel Rogers, tenor; David Thomas, bass
From ChoralWiki: “Praetorius published twenty volumes of music, most of it intended for use in Lutheran church services. This stirring setting of Puer natus in Bethlehem, one of several settings that he published of this chorale, comes from Praetorius’ 1619 collection, Polyhymnia Caduceatrix et Panegyrica (“Polyhymnia – the Muse of sacred poetry – Herald and Praise-giver”), which contains some of his largest-scale works, for up to 21 voices or instruments, arranged in up to 6 choirs. The piece is in 12 parts: 3 solo voices, a 4-part choir, 4-part strings and basso continuo, and shows off Praetorius’ fascination with both rhythmic and ensemble variation, revealing a delight in playing with tonal colour and texture. The verses, in Latin, are interspersed with a ritornello, in German. The composer suggests that the congregation should sing verses of the chorale to a simple setting, at the end of each half.”
Antonio Vivaldi: Et in terra pax ~ Gloria, RV 589
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw was considered by many to be the dean of American choral conductors.
J.S. Bach: Helft mir Gotts Gute preisen, BWV 613
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, BWV 614
In dir ist Freude, BWV 615
Hans Fagius, organ
Mats Arvidsson Organ, Mariefred Church, Sweden
These three chorale preludes come from The Little Organ Book which is a collection of chorale preludes which Bach wrote for the church year. These are the preludes which he wrote for New Year’s Day.
J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 Part Three
Dresden State Orchestra; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Peter Schreier
Helen Donath, soprano; Andrea Ihle, soprano;
Marjana Lipovsek, mezzo-soprano; Peter Schreier, tenor
Eberhard Buchner, tenor; Robert Holl, bass
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is actually six free-standing cantatas. Part Three is intended to be sung on December 27, the 3rd day of Christmas. It tells of the adoration of the Christ Child by the shepherds.
Benjamin Britten: Christ’s Nativity
Holst Singers, Stephen Layton
Catherine Wyn-Rogers, contralto; Susan Gritton, soprano
Christ’s Nativity dates from 1931 when Britten was 18 years old.
Marcel Dupre: Variations on a Noel, Op. 20
Jane Watts, organ
Harrison & Harrison organ in Westminster Abbey
Published in 1923, Variations sur un vieux Noël Op 20 is based on the old French carol Noël nouvelet. The work consists of a theme and ten variations.
Hector Berlioz: L’Enfance du Christ, Part 1 “Herod’s Dream”
Corydon Singers & Orchestra, Matthew Best
Jean Rigby, mezzo-soprano, the Virgin Mary; Alastair Miles, bass, Herod; Gerald Finley, baritone, Joseph; John Aler, tenor, narrator
From ClassicFM: “One evening in 1850 Berlioz found himself at a party where everyone was playing cards. As this was something he particularly disliked, his friend Pierre Duc asked him to inscribe his album:
I take a piece of paper and scribble a few staves on which a four-part andantino for organ appears. It seems to have a rustic character and to suggest a naïve mystical feeling. So I at once think of writing appropriate words for it. The organ piece disappears and becomes a chorus of shepherds in Bethlehem bidding farewell to the child Jesus as the Holy Family leaves for Egypt.
Such was the origin of the sacred trilogy L’enfance du Christ; from the germ of a few bars of organ music sprang the full completed work in three parts.”
W.A. Mozart: Fantasia in F minor for Musical Clockwork, K. 608
Michael Farris, organ
Fisk organ Opus 101, Southern Methodist University, Dallas
Intricate music written for an intricate device, Mozart’s Fantasia in F minor illustrates the composer’s familiarity with the music of J.S. Bach as evidenced in the overture and fugal writing.
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