Album Booklet

Awake, My Soul Choral Works by Gary Davison (b. 1961) 1. Awake, My Soul [4:10] 2. Most High, Glorious God [3:19] Rachael Lloyd mezzo-soprano (A Prayer of Saint Francis) Philip Dukes viola Wessex Service David Bednall organ 3. Magnificat [4:07] Wells Cathedral Choir 4. Nunc dimis [2:28] Mahew Owens conductor Missa pro defuncs 5. Introit: Requiem aeternam [4:28] 6. Kyrie eleison [3:17] 7. Gradual: Dominus regit me [6:04] 8. Tract: Absolve, Domine [4:33] 9. Sequence: Dies irae [12:09] 10. Offertory: Domine Jesu Christe [4:49] 11. Sanctus & Benedictus [3:17] 12. Agnus Dei [5:22] 13. Communion: Lux aeterna [5:37] Total playing me [63:48] About Wells Cathedral Choir & Matthew Owens: ‘There is control, pace, an appropriate balance of drama with All world premiere recordings, devotion and the feeling that the whole breathes’ made in the presence of the composer. Gramophone ‘The Wells singing is of a consistently high standard’ BBC Music Magazine Awake, My Soul: Choral Works by Gary Davison The forces used in my Missa pro defuncs bursaries for both boy and girl choristers. my very generous donors, whose support were prescribed by Mr Owens: chorus, organ, It is dedicated to HRH The Countess made this disc possible. And I must include When Mahew Owens first enquired about viola, and a mezzo-soprano soloist. There is of Wessex, the Royal Patron of the WCCT. Mr Iain Ball MBE and Prebendary Helen Ball the possibility of wring a ‘Requiem’ for much praccality in that lineup and yet such This was my eighth seng of the evening OBE in the round of thanks for their reless Wells Cathedral Choir, naturally I was thrilled myriad sonic possibilies. I chose to set the cancles but the first me using the form energy and support of music at Wells, and for at the prospect. There was no queson it full liturgical Lan text of the Roman rite, of a faux-bourdon. Working with the their enduring friendship, encouragement, and would receive a stellar premiere as, indeed, including the enre ‘Dies irae’, which places reserved and inmate nature of the old great humour. Finally, my endless loving gratude it did on Remembrance Sunday in 2015 in a the ubiquitous ‘Pie Jesu’ in its proper posion chant tones proved a much-enjoyed is extended to John Erickson, Harvey Burge, deeply moving aernoon service in Wells in the structure of the mass. This results in challenge in creang a compelling adorned and Julie Keim for more reasons than room Cathedral. Mr Owens et al gave a repeat nine movements, making the composion rendering of each tone (which alternates allows to list here; they will know. performance a year later, even more moving suitable for liturgical use or as an extended with the unadorned chant). I was privileged than the first. And now to have it recorded concert piece in other contexts. to aend the premiere at that liturgy, My personal dedicaon of this recording is in so beaufully truly is a blessing. which was offered in the presence of HRH. loving memory of The Rev’d Alfred J. Chiplin, Jr, The opening tle track, Awake, My Soul, is a who intensely brightened my life and Of course, the inial thrill of wring such companion piece to my seng of Thomas I proffer my sincerest thanks to the visionary constantly awakened my soul through his a work quickly became tempered by Ken’s Glory to thee, my God, this night, which Mahew Owens, without whom this recording exemplary life of compassion, integrity, faith, murmuring doubts. The long shadows of concludes the first disc of my music from would not have come to fruion. I also thank and unfeered friendship. the many prominent composers who have Wells Cathedral, The Armour of Light (Regent the Dean and Chapter of Wells Cathedral for wrien ‘Requiem’ sengs loomed large Records). The former Bishop of Bath and their support and permission to record this © 2018 Gary Davison over my shoulder. What in the world could Wells’s vibrant morning direcve to God disc in the cathedral. My profound gratude I possibly have to say, especially aer the inspired the exuberant nature of this anthem. goes to organist extraordinaire, David Gary Davison’s Requiem: Tradion and Renewal likes of Fauré and Duruflé, who both I set the lesser-known collect by Saint Francis, Bednall; the consummate violist, Philip Dukes; profoundly influenced my path in music Most High, Glorious God, specifically for the the ever-expressive mezzo-soprano, Rachael Gary Davison was born in Fayeeville, composion? Among the other shadows choristers of Wells Cathedral with the Lloyd; the very talented young soprano (and Arkansas, in 1961 and spent his childhood stood Brahms with his astounding intenon of providing a useful general former chorister), Madeleine Perring; Adam in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He studied at Boston masterpiece, and Howells with his inmate anthem. Having worked for many years in a Binks for his keen ears and superb University where he was taught by Max gem, which became the foundaon for the parish whose patron saint is the Friar from engineering arstry; and, foremostly, to the Miller (1927–2013), a revered figure in expanded and sublime Hymnus Paradisi. Assisi, this text is parcularly close to my heart. astounding musicians of the choir – Vicars American church music as organist, choral Aer much pondering, my resolve became The Wessex Service came about as a Choral and Choristers – who never cease conductor and liturgical musician. It was simply to embrace those beloved past commission from Wells Cathedral Chorister to amaze me with their arrantly beauful Miller who encouraged Davison to look voices and weave them in to the fabric Trust (WCCT) for an evensong celebrang the arstry and constant commitment to choral beyond the organ to develop his work as of my own score, a sort of musical homage tweneth anniversary of the foundaon of music. To hear them sing is no less than a composer and conductor. Miller’s own by keeping close company with them. the girls’ choir and of the WCCT’s funding of heaven on earth for me! I thank profusely career as an organist and a working church musician was one that inspired many of Duruflé’s Requiem are more surprising. homage to earlier music and in two parcular sonories. The ‘Requiem aeternam’ opens his students, and Davison served as his By the me of the first performance in respects it is quite an original concepon. in a mood of solemnity, the choral theme assistant at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel. 1947, it was widely seen as a naonal (doubled by the solo viola) is presented in It was an apprenceship that le a deep and memorial, but although the premiere was Firstly, the instrumentaon is unusual: the octaves over repeated pedal notes in the lasng impression on Davison whose given in the version with orchestra, Duruflé accompaniment is not only for organ but organ. Throughout the movement, though subsequent career has followed a similar himself wrote that his goal had been ‘to also for a solo viola, used to parcularly the choral textures change and the organ pathway, notably as Organist and Choirmaster write a religious work intended for the eloquent effect in the ‘Gradual: Dominus introduces chordal ideas, the voices remain at St Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, church’. Indeed, his original idea had been regit me’, in the ‘Domine Jesu Christe’ and in unison or octaves. This relave simplicity Maryland, a post he has held since 1995. to compose a suite for organ based on the in the ‘Agnus Dei’. In the first and last turns out to be part of an ingenious strategy plainchant movements of the Requiem movements it adds a disncve colour to throughout the work: to create a coherent The largest work on this disc – and Davison’s Mass, with each piece played at the the overall sonority. Given the instrument’s whole that is also remarkable for the variety largest work to date – is his Missa pro appropriate moment in the liturgy. At any tendency to be associated with quiet of vocal and instrumental combinaons defuncs. Its origins are explained in the event, the first performance was given melancholy, this is enrely apt. found from one movement to the next. The composer’s foreword, but this seng of the on All Souls Day (2 November) 1947. ‘Kyrie’ opens with a syllabic choral incantaon Requiem Mass comes in a long line of sengs Reynaldo Hahn described Fauré as a Secondly, Davison has been creave in his (based on bare fihs and major seconds) composed by working church musicians, ‘voluptuous Gregorianist’ for his use of choice of texts. The words of the Requiem over which two groups of solo voices – somemes intended for liturgical use. serene modal harmonies in his Requiem, as set by, for example, Mozart and Fauré trebles and tenors, and trebles and baritones Composers such as Gabriel Fauré (at the and Duruflé was keen to put some distance are very different from each other: Fauré – float a melismac idea that develops for Madeleine), Maurice Duruflé (at St Éenne- between his own work and Fauré’s: ‘I do omied the ‘Dies Irae’ (as did Duruflé), but the central ‘Christe eleison’ into a more du-Mont) and Alfred Desenclos (at Notre- not think I was influenced by Fauré […] I included the ‘Pie Jesu’ as a separate elaborate duet for the two solo groups, over Dame-de-Loree) produced Requiems that have simply tried to surround myself with movement (in Mozart’s Requiem the words slowly changing choral chords, before a have a quieter, more contemplave approach the style suitable to the Gregorian chants.’ come in the ‘Lacrimosa’); And unlike Mozart, return to the opening idea.

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