CTP Template: CD_DPS1 COLOURS Compact Disc Booklet: Double Page Spread CYAN MAGENTA Customer SIGNUMCLASSICS YELLOW Catalogue No. SIGCD093 BLACK Job Title Oxford Psalms Page Nos. Also from Charivari Agréable on SignumClassics SIGCD006 SIGCD007 SIGCD008 SIGCD009 Music for Philip of Spain Two upon a ground: Jupiter The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book and his four wives Duets and Divisions for two viols SIGCD018 SIGCD020 SIGCD026 SIGCD032 Sacred Songs of Sorrow The Queen’s Goodnight Music for Gainsborough The Sultan and the Phoenix SIGCD041 SIGCD049 SIGCD069 SIGCD086 Modus Phantasticus Harmonia Caelestis Esperar Sentir Morir The Virtuoso Godfather Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 CTP Template: CD_DPS1 COLOURS Compact Disc Booklet: Double Page Spread CYAN MAGENTA Customer SIGNUMCLASSICS YELLOW Catalogue No. SIGCD093 BLACK Job Title Oxford Psalms Page Nos. Nicholas Perfect is currently a lay clerk at Gloucester Birmingham Touring Opera, Birmingham Contemporary THE OXFORD PSALMS Cathedral. Much of his freelance work is as a Music Group, CBSO and Ex Cathedra. Nick has also choral/consort singer, working regularly with Ex made numerous appearances as a guest artist in Cathedra, Armonico Consort, Tenebrae and Orchestra Thomas Trotter’s recital series. William Lawes (1602–1645) of the Renaissance. He is also busy as a soloist and 1. The Lamentation: O Lord, in thee [5.17] has appeared with The Hanover Band, City of 2. Psalm LI/2: Cast me not, Lord [5.47] Matthew Locke (c.1623–1677) INSTRUMENTARIUM 3. In the beginning, O Lord [2.29] Susanne Heinrich 6-string bass viol by Merion Attwood, 1999, after anon. 17C English original; Jeremiah Clarke (c.1674–1707) consort bass by Renate Fink, 1998, after 17C iconography 4. Blest be those sweet Regions [4.25] Kah-Ming Ng harpsichord by Andrew Garlick, 1977, after I. Ruckers 1638; Anonymous chamber organ by Vincent Woodstock, 1996 5. Miserere, from Parthenia in-violata (c.1625) [1.47] Richard Sweeney theorbo by Klaus Jacobsen, 2002, after various 17C Italian models William Lawes 6. Psalm XVIII/1: O God my strength and fortitude [5.48] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7. Psalm VI: Lord, in thy wrath [5.43] Dr Glyn Redworth for his invaluable contribution not only to the John Blow (1648–1708) prose, but also the substance of the notes; Dr Harry Diack Johnstone for his observations on Oxford Acts; Mr Terence Charlston 8. As on Euphrates’ shady banks [4.57] for making his edition of Bryne’s keyboard music available for comparison with our own; Abjad Ltd, whose generous encouragement Anonymous/Christopher Simpson (c.1602/6–1669), arr. K-M Ng made this recording possible. 9. A Ground for ye Harpsicord [3.42] P 2007 The copyright in this recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd. C 2007 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd. Recorded in St Andrew’s Church, Toddington, Gloucestershire, 10. William Child (1606/7–1697) [6.56] Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact 22-24 August 2006 The First Set of Psalmes of III Voyces (Extracts) Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Production, engineering and editing - Adrian Hunter Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Psalm II: Why doth the Heathen so furiously rage Booklet notes - Kah-Ming Ng Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, Psalm X: Why standest thou so far off Front cover Image - Shutterstock without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. Psalm: XI: In the Lord I put my trust Print of Oxford – anon. 17th century SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Psalm IX: I Will give thanks unto Thee Pitch - A=415Hz, keyboards tuned by Kah-Ming Ng to 1/6-comma Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] mean-tone temperament Design and Artwork - Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk www.signumrecords.com - 19 - CTP Template: CD_DPS1 COLOURS Compact Disc Booklet: Double Page Spread CYAN MAGENTA Customer SIGNUMCLASSICS YELLOW Catalogue No. SIGCD093 BLACK Job Title Oxford Psalms Page Nos. The group also appeared on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In tune’, Rodrigo del Pozo has performed with most of the Henry Purcell (1659–1695) ‘Music Restor’d’, and ‘The Early Music Show’, and has leading groups specializing in baroque music, 11. Since God so tender [3.24] since recorded live for New York’s WNYC, and including Charivari Agréable, Concerto Palatino, numerous European radio stations, including the l’Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, Gabrieli Consort, Frances Withy (c.1645–1727) European Broadcasting Union. Their CDs have been Harp Consort, King’s Consort, Orchestra of the Age of 12. Divisions in F [5.41] awarded the Diapason d’Or, Gramophone’s ‘Editor’s Enlightenment, New York Collegium, Les Arts Choice’, International Record Review’s ‘Best CD of the Florrisants, Apollo’s Fire, and Tafelmusik and Les George Jeffreys (c.1610–1685) 13. Praise the Lord, O my soule [3.57] Year’, and the Goldberg and BBC Music Magazine’s Musiciens du Louvre. His stage roles have included top star ratings. operas by Peri, Monteverrdi, Purcell and Handel. Henry Purcell Rodrigo has recorded for Auvidis-Astrée, DG, EMI, 14. Blessed is he that considereth the poor [5.34] Apart from hosting an annual summer festival of Harmonia Mundi, Hyperion and Teldec as well as BBC early music in Oxford, the ensemble regularly expands Radio 3 and televison and radio stations in America Albertus Bryne (c.1621–1668) into Oxford’s resident period-instrument orchestra, and Europe. His recording of Sacred Songs of Sorrow 15. Voluntary [1.58] Charivari Agréable Simfonie. The orchestra has on- with Charivari Agréable was voted ‘The Best CD of the Matthew Locke going collaborations with some thirty vocal groups— Year’ by International Record Review; his two other 16. Let God arise [1.25] choral societies and professional choirs alike—all discs with this group Music for Philip of Spain and the over the UK, and has been conducted by many new Esperar, sentir, morir have received critical William Lawes musicians of renown, including Sir Charles Mackerras. acclaim, the latter a double 5-star award from the 17. The humble suite of a sinner: O Lord, of whom… [6.54] 18. Gloria Patri et Filio [2.43] BBC Music Magazine. The ensemble has appeared at all prominent venues Total [78.28] in London, including Buckingham Palace; recent and Simon Beston was a Lay Clerk at New College, where forthcoming engagements include major festivals in he spent three years reading Music. He began singing the UK, and tours to Austria, Belgium, the Czech at school, where he studied with Ruth Holton for five Republic, Finland, Germany, Holland, Hungary, years. During his time as a Choral Scholar at New Charivari Agréable Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, South East Asia, and the USA. College he studied under Bronwen Mills. Since moving Rodrigo del Pozo & Simon Beston, tenor to Oxford, Simon has performed in various musical Nicholas Perfect, bass The music recorded on this CD is performed using ensembles, given solo recitals of German Lieder, and Susanne Heinrich, bass viol & consort bass editions prepared by Charivari Agréable Publications engaged in a spot of conducting. Simon has taken Richard Sweeney, theorbo from facsimiles of the original manuscripts. For details part in various New Chamber Opera Studio dir. Kah-Ming Ng, chamber organ & harpsichord of the ensemble’s publications and discography, productions, including a recent production of John please refer to http://www.charivari.co.uk Caldwell’s Orpheus. www.signumrecords.com www.charivari.co.uk - 18 - CTP Template: CD_DPS1 COLOURS Compact Disc Booklet: Double Page Spread CYAN MAGENTA Customer SIGNUMCLASSICS YELLOW Catalogue No. SIGCD093 BLACK Job Title Oxford Psalms Page Nos. This programme is a random sampling of made all the more curious by the presence of BIOGRAPHY seventeenth-century English devotional chamber numerous manuscript—i.e. ‘pirated’—copies of music for three men and basso continuo. A couple the first set which indicate not only the growing of coincidences define the parameters of our appetite for the new-fangled baroque declamatory Charivari Agréable is recognized as ‘one of the recital. Most of the composers have some idiom, but which also reveal Child’s business classiest baroque bands’ (The Observer), and ‘certainly connection with Oxford, be it academic, professional, acumen in not associating his works with any one of the most original and versatile groups on the or, more tenuously, fraternal. Also, most of the political cause. Re-issues by John Playford of the Early Music scene today’ (Hexachord) whose musical music on this disc represents what we believe to First Set appeared in 1650 and 1656 in the guise ‘intuitions are always captivating’ (Goldberg). The be a neglected genre, viz. that of sacred songs of Choise Musick to the Psalmes of Dauid, an act group has been hailed for its ‘thinking musicians who and non-liturgical anthems for domestic of political expediency perhaps, as religious treat music of the past more creatively’ via their arrangements of music, ‘based on a greater consumption, ‘fitt for private Chappels or other reformers (including Henry VIII) had always knowledge of the historical and social contexts for the private meetings’, to cite a rubric from William associated themselves with David. music’. They represent ‘a new and very exciting phase Child’s only publication The First Set of Psalmes of of the early music revival, one that enriches the III Voyces (1639).