Commotio Matthew Berry Bob Bob Chilcott (B
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The Rose in the Middle of Winter Carols by Bob Chilcott Commotio Matthew Berry Bob Bob Chilcott (b. 1955) CHILCOTT The Rose in the Middle of Winter (b. 1955) I sang for eight years in the choir of King’s College, as Angels from the realms of glory was written in 2006 for 1 Song of the Crib (2012) 5:42 Cambridge – five years as a boy chorister and three years the BBC Singers at the suggestion of the Singers’ as a choral scholar. One of the highlights of the year was producer Michael Emery. Two lovely texts by women 2 Les anges dans nos campagnes (2006) 2:50 the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas poets were introduced to me – the first, The night he was Eve. Here, alongside the more traditional music, we born, from the poem The Thorn by Helen Dunmore was 3 The Advent Candle (2011) 2:59 generally sang a newly composed carol. It was always requested by Ben Nicholas in 2007 for his choir from 4 The Rose in the Middle of Winter (2009) 2:51 exciting to sing something new, but it would usually divide Dean Close School and Tewkesbury Abbey. Philip opinion and sometimes cause controversy not only Barnes, the conductor of the St Louis Chamber Choir, 5 The Heart-in-Waiting (2008) 3:45 amongst the singers but also amongst the many loyal came up with the idea of combining the beautiful Emily followers of Christmas music. For many choirs the music Dickinson poem Before the ice with the Latin responsory 6 The shepherds sing (2011) (Laurie Ashworth, Soprano) 3:45 they sing at Christmas is that with which they most closely for Christmas Day O magnum mysterium and I wrote this 7 The Shepherd’s Carol (2000) 3:30 identify themselves, so a lot of energy is given to their setting for his choir in 2012. choices of Christmas repertoire. This means that many Two of the carols were commissioned as presents – On Christmas Night (2010) 23:10 choirs are very open to the new, and the challenge for the the first, The shepherds sing, to a text by George Herbert, 8 1. This is the truth (I) 3:02 composer is to create pieces which sit happily alongside was written for Libby Buchanan and first performed in 9 2. Adam lay ybounden 1:47 the traditional. December 2011 in Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St I have written my fair share of Christmas pieces and a James’s Palace, London. What sweeter music, using 0 3. A spotless Rose 3:48 number of them are recorded here for the first time by extracts from the poem by Robert Herrick, was written for ! 4. The Cherry Tree Carol 1:56 Commotio. I have always enjoyed looking for new and Libby’s daughter, Elizabeth, and first performed in @ 5. O little town (Paul Thomas, Bass) 3:33 more recently written texts to set, texts that sometimes Westminster Abbey in May 2012 by the Abbey Choir. # 6. Sweet was the song (Laurie Ashworth, Soprano) 3:52 come in at an angle on the well-known Christmas story. On Christmas Eve 2012 Alan Greaves, a church Four poems by Charles Bennett are specially written – organist from Sheffield, was attacked as he walked to $ 7. Rejoice and be merry 1:55 Song of the Crib and Gifts for the Child of Winter were church for Midnight Mass. Sadly, he died a few days later, % 8. This is the truth (II) 3:17 both composed in 2012, the first for the Micklegate and soon after we heard of this I happened to come Singers in York and the second for The South Bend across a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, The ^ What sweeter music (2012) (Victoria Thomas, Soprano) 4:16 Singers in South Bend, Indiana. The two other texts by Bethlehem Star, that affected me in the light of this & Mid-Winter (1994) 3:54 Charles are Advent carols – The Advent Candle was tragedy. I decided to set it in his memory. written in 2011 for a consortium of ten choirs in the North Of the remaining single carols, Mid-Winter began life * The Bethlehem Star (2013) 2:33 West of England as part of an auction to raise money for in 1994 as a carol for the Toronto Children’s Chorus. the Association of British Choral Directors, and The Rose Silent night was arranged in 2011 for Carols for Choirs 5, ( Silent night (2011) 3:52 in the Middle of Winter was written for David Hill and The the fiftieth anniversary tribute to the famous Carols for ) The night he was born (2007) 5:27 Bach Choir in honour of the 90th birthday of Sir David Choirs series published by Oxford University Press. The Willcocks. Shepherd’s Carol was one of the many new carols ¡ Gifts for the Child of Winter (2012) (Tim Ambrose, Tenor) 3:46 Several of the texts of carols here were suggested – mentioned earlier written for the choir of King’s College, The Heart-in-Waiting by Keven Crossley-Holland was Cambridge. I wrote this in 2000 for the televised service of ™ Before the ice (O magnum mysterium) (2012) 7:09 requested by the commissioner, the distinguished that year. American conductor Philip Brunelle, and I wrote the piece On Christmas Night, the central carol sequence on in 2008 for his church choir in Plymouth, Minnesota. Les this recording, was written in 2010 for the choir of the anges dans nos montagnes, known in its English version University Christian Church in Austin, Texas. The idea was to write a set of pieces that outlined the Christmas Thanks must also go to Will Brown for sensitive and Bob Chilcott story and, in the original performance, the movements collaborative work as the sound engineer. I am delighted were interspersed with appropriate readings. In this piece to have my music represented by this distinguished choir, Photo: John Bellars Bob Chilcott, described by The Observer as ‘a I have tried to do what I alluded to earlier, by combining which is based in Oxford, near to where I have lived for contemporary hero of British Choral Music’, has new settings alongside traditional carol melodies. more than thirty years. I shall never forget the wintry become one of the most widely performed I am grateful to Matthew Berry and Commotio for their recording days in April in Keble Chapel – it certainly felt composers of choral music in the world. He has a hard work in bringing this recording to life, and to my like Christmas! large catalogue of works published by Oxford former King’s Singers colleague, Nigel Short, himself now University Press which reflects his wide taste in a renowned conductor, who produced the recording. Bob Chilcott music styles and his commitment to writing music that is both singable and communicative. From his catalogue of larger works, Salisbury Vespers, written in 2009, was first performed by over 600 singers and players in Salisbury Cathedral. His Requiem of 2010 has now been performed in sixteen countries, and his large-scale cantata, The Angry Planet, had its première in the 2012 BBC Proms with 550 adult and young singers. In March 2013 his St John Passion was first performed in Wells Cathedral by the Cathedral Choir conducted by Matthew Owens. Most recently he wrote The King shall rejoice for the service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Of his smaller works, A Little Jazz Mass remains a favourite with choirs around the world as do many of his pieces for children’s choir, including the piece with sign language, Can you hear me?, which was performed at the 2004 Song Festival in Estonia by over 7000 children. Between 1997 and 2004 he was conductor of the chorus of the Royal College of Music in London and, since 2002, he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Singers. He has been privileged to conduct many choirs in some thirty countries over the last ten years. There are recordings of Chilcott’s music by the BBC Singers, the King’s Singers, The Sirens, and the NFL Wrocław Philharmonic Choir. His Requiem is recorded by the Choir of Wells Cathedral, who also record his St John Passion in 2014. This Christmas album is the second disc of his music on the Naxos label. In spring 2013 Everyone Sang was released by the Wellensian Consort (8.573158). His music has been recorded by many other choirs and groups including Tenebrae, the Cambridge Singers, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and the Choir of Westminster Abbey. Photo: Kevin Jones Laurie Ashworth Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Sue Chamberlin Amy Cowan Tim Ambrose Hugh Conway Morris Soprano Laurie Ashworth began her studies in 2002 at the Royal Northern College of Music Lucy Cox Catherine Gabriel John Duggan Kevin Jones under the tutelage of Caroline Crawshaw, with whom she continues to study. She graduated Pernille Hanehøj Katie Hillier Philip Fine Graham Lunn with first class honours in 2006 and was awarded the RNCM Gold Medal, the college’s Chloe Martindale Kate Saunders Michael Hosking Martyn Matthews highest accolade for performance. Awards from The Arts and Humanities Research Council Griselda Sherlaw-Johnson Helen Swan Neil Malcolm Daniel Rollison and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust enabled her to complete her Masters in Vocal Kate Smith Heather Thomas Tim Nightingale Michael Rowley Performance at the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Patricia Rozario and Janis Victoria Thomas Jutta Walcher Paul Thomas Kelly, graduating with distinction in 2008.