What’s on Great Sacred Music, Sunday, December 20, 2015

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08:02:00
Richard Marlow/J.S. Bach: Advent Responsory
Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, Richard Marlow

 

J.S. Bach: Opening chorus ~ Cantata 140, “Sleepers, Awake!”
CBC Vancouver Orchestra; Tudor Singers of Montreal, Wayne Riddell
 

J.S. Bach: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 661
Hans Fagius, organ
The reconstructed Baroque organ in Kristine Church, Falun, Sweden

 

Richard Marlow used “Sleepers, Awake!” as the inspiration for this setting of

the Advent Responsory. The opening chorus from BWV 140 shows how clever

Dr. Marlow was. The set concludes with one of the Eighteen Chorale Preludes

which Bach wrote in the last years of his life.

 

08:17:04
Stephen Cleobury: The Cherry Tree Carol
Choir of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C.
Samuel Carabetta

 

Carson Cooman: Adam lay ybounden
Royal Holloway Choir, University of London, Rupert Gough
Samuel Rathbone, organ

 

Johannes Brahms: Es ist ein’ ros’ entsprungen
David Hill, organ
Willis organ in Westminster Cathedral

 

Here we have English, American and German composers taking the simplest

of texts and adorning them with music beauty from other worlds.

 

08:26:11
William Byrd: Vigilate
The King’s Singers

 

Francis Jackson: Blow ye the trumpet in Zion
Choir of York Minster, Philip Moore

John Scott Whitely, organ

 

Orlando Gibbons: Hosanna to the Son of David
Cambridge Singers, John Rutter

 

The Byrd and Gibbons anthems frame the contemporary anthem

by Dr. Francis Jackson. While the styles are markedly different, the heritage

comes through in the expressive vocal style in which each composer writes.

 

08:44:55
John Rutter: Hymn to the Creator of Light
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge

Stephen Cleobury

 

John Rutter (1945-) wrote Hymn to the Creator of Light for Gloucester, Hereford

and Worcester Cathedrals in 1992.

 

08:54:25
David Arcus: Variations on Besancon
1976 Flentrop organ in Duke Chapel, Duke
University, Durham, North Carolina

 

Variations on an Advent Carol (BESANÇON) was composed by David Arcus for

an Advent program presented in December 2003 on the E. M. Skinner organ at

First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. Today’s recording is from

November 28, 2014 performed on the Flentrop organ at Duke University Chapel. 
The variations on Besançon were inspired by the theme-and-variations genre as

crafted by the 20th-century French organ masters, particularly Marcel Dupré, as well

as by the 18th-century noël variations of Louis-Claude Daquin and Jean-François Dandrieu.

The theme and first five variations pass rather quickly and with increasingly complexity: a first

duo with simple, diatonic harmonization; a second duo with a quirky second voice introducing

chromatic harmonies; third, ostinato patterns that counter the rhythmic organization of the theme

now in a modified mode; fourth, a bi-tonal variation where the melody, pitched as before, is

accompanied by chords suggesting a different tonal center; fifth, a rapid scherzando movement

in a completely different key, and sixth, a variation in yet another key but treating the melody in

canon. Even though the variations use subdued dynamics (from pianissimo to no louder than mezzo-forte),

their increasing complexity creates a kind of crescendo. An actual crescendo happens in the final variation,

a Fugato-Finale that concludes the variation set with a triumphant romp, intended to make us mindful of the

inherent joy in preparing for the coming of Christ. …Notes by Dr. Arcus

 

09:03:14
J.S. Bach: Cantata 132, “Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn!”
Aradia Ensemble, Kevin Mallon
Terri Dunn, soprano; Matthew White, alto; John Tessier, tenor;
Steven Pitkanen, bass; Thomas Goerz, bass

 

The German translates as “Prepare the way, prepare the course!”. This solo cantata was first performed

on December 22, 1715 in Weimar.

 

09:24:38
Benjamin Britten: A Hymn of St. Colomba
Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, George Guest

 

Benjamin Britten set the words of Saint Columba (521-597) in 1962.

 

09:27:16
Anton Bruckner: Virga Jesse floruit
Bavarian Radio Choir, Eugen Jochum

 

This is one of a dozen or so Latin motets which the great Austrian symphonist

Anton Bruckner wrote when he was a young church organist.

 

09:31:46
Orlando Gibbons: This is the record of John
University of California Berkeley Chamber Chorus; Berkeley Festival Consort of Viols, John Butt
Jeffrey Thomas, tenor

 

The English composer Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) was a chorister in the Choir of King’s

College, Cambridge.

 

09:37:53
Claudio Monteverdi: Magnificat ~ Vespers of the Blessed Virgin
Apollo’s Fire (The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra); with Apollo’s Singers
Jeannette Sorrell
Ian Honeyman, tenor; Gareth Morrell, tenor; Sandra Simon, soprano;
Jennifer Ellis Kampani, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano;
Jeffrey Strauss, baritone; Michael McMurray, bass

 

The Vespers of the Blessed Virgin (1610) is the first large-scale choral work written

before Johann Sebastian Bach, It is 90 minutes long and demanding both vocally and

instrumentally.

 

09:59:27
Johannes Brahms: Ave Maria, Op. 12
Corydon Singers with John Scott, organ
Matthew Best

 

Brahms was 25 years old when he wrote his Ave Maria for women’s voices.

 

10:03:22
Zoltan Kodaly: Laudes organi
Choir of Westminster Cathedral, James O’Donnell
Andrew Reid, organ

Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly wrote Laudes Organi (In Praise of Organs) for the

1966 AGO Convention in Atlanta. It is based on a twelfth century manuscript found in

the Engelberg Monastery, Switzerland

 

10:24:17
Rupert Lang: Magnificat
Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, Diane Loomer
Mariateresa Magisano, mezzo-soprano

 

Canadian musician Rupert Lang has been organist and choirmaster of Christ Church Cathedral,

Vancouver, British Columbia since 1986.

 

10:49:47
W.A. Mozart: Fantasia in F minor for Musical Clockwork, K. 608
John Scott, organ
Mander organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London

 

English organist and choirmaster John Scott was far too young when he died last August. Fortunately

he left a legacy of excellent recordings of which this Mozart Fantasia is one.