PSALMS AND MOTETS FOR REFLECTION Tavener • Stainer • Poulenc • Stanford • MacMillan Choir of St John’s, Elora Michael Bloss, Organ • Noel Edison PSALMS AND MOTETS FOR REFLECTION PSALMS AND MOTETS FOR REFLECTION Tavener • Stainer • Poulenc • Stanford • MacMillan Tavener • Stainer • Poulenc • Stanford • MacMillan The Psalms have for long formed an important element in professor at Oxford. He became the first principal of the 1 William CROTCH (1775–1847): 0 Francis POULENC: Jewish and Christian worship, from the chanting of Levites Royal Academy of Music in 1822, resigning ten years Psalm 47 * 2:53 4 Motets pour un temps de penitence, FP 97 3:02 in the Temple and the continuing rites of the synagogue to later, to enjoy retirement until his death in 1847. He did No. 1 Timor et Tremor (1939) the Divine Office of Catholic practice and the customs of much to bring about a revival in English church music, and 2 Johannes ECCARD (1553–1611): Protestant churches and chapels. In the Catholic Mass, his compositions include oratorios, anthems and psalm Maria wallt zum Heiligtum 3:51 ! Sir Ivor ATKINS: Psalm 96 * 3:46 the principal act of worship, fragments of the Psalms chants, many of which remain part of English cathedral (When to the Temple Mary went) appear as graduals and antiphons, while the Reformers of repertoire. the sixteenth century tended to revert to a wider use of Johannes Eccard, born in Mühlhausen in 1553, @ Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852–1924): Psalms, following the apparent practice of early served in the court chapels of Weimar, Bavaria and 3 James MACMILLAN (b. 1959): Te Deum laudamus in B flat * 7:06 Christians. Musical settings of the Psalms in the Roman Brandenburg, finally as Kapellmeister in Berlin. His Maria A New Song (Words from Psalm 96) (1997) * 5:37 Catholic Western Church were largely plainchant, wallt zum Heiligtum (When to the Temple Mary went) is a # Sir John STAINER (1840–1901): although texts from the Psalms also provided words for six-part motet, celebrating the Feast of the Purification, 4 Sir Ivor ATKINS (1869–1953): God so loved the world 3:24 polyphonic treatment. In the tradition developed in the when Christ was brought to the Temple by his mother, to Psalm 2 * 3:33 (from The Crucifixion) (1887) Church of England Psalms came to be sung to what be greeted by Simeon, with the words familiar from the became known as Anglican chant. The varying length of Nunc dimittis. 5 John TAVENER (b. 1944): $ Stephen PAULUS (b. 1949): lines in the Psalm texts demanded a certain elasticity in A New Song by the Catholic Scottish composer The Lamb (1982) 2:55 Pilgrimsʼ Hymn 3:36 the length of the corresponding music. This was met in James MacMillan was commissioned for the choir of St (from The Three Hermits) (1997) Roman Catholic usage by a reciting note of variable Brideʼs Episcopal Church in Glasgow. The words are 6 Francis POULENC (1899–1963): length and in the Church of England either by a translation taken from Psalm 96 and the meditative setting brings 4 Motets pour un temps de penitence, FP 97 3:50 % Sir Ivor ATKINS: Psalm 107 * 4:24 of Roman usage or by a harmonized single or double with it musical turns of phrase that suggest Scottish No. 2 Vinea mea electa (1938) chant. It might be added that traditional musical training musical traditions. ^ Edward CUTLER (1831–1916): Psalm 27 * 4:49 often involved a novice in the composition of single and Ivor Atkins represents Anglican musical traditions in 7 Barry ROSE (b. 1934): then double chants, leading finally to the summit of such his training and his compositions. He served his Psalm 121 (1996) * 2:29 & Jonathan HARVEY (1939–2012): achievement, the hymn tune. apprenticeship as assistant organist at Truro and Hereford Remember, O Lord (2003) 3:04 The sources of the translations of the Psalms used in Cathedrals, before appointment as organist at St 8 Thomas HANFORTH (1867–1948): the present recording vary slightly. Over the years there Lawrenceʼs in Ludlow. In 1897 he was appointed to Psalm 145 * 5:23 * George COOPER (1820–1876): have been revisions in the Latin Psalms and changes in Worcester Cathedral, where he remained until 1950, Psalm 19 * 4:33 English translations, in Anglican usage between the closely involved with the Three Choirs Festival celebrated 9 Paul HALLEY (b. 1952): Authorised Version of The Bible and the Book of Common at the cathedrals of Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford Christ, whose glory fills the skies (2005) * 5:04 Prayer, and subsequent adjustments. Metrical Psalms in turn. His commitment to the West Country brought (Melody from “Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524) have had their own place and history, particularly in collaboration with Elgar. Atkins was knighted in 1921 and (commissioned by Noel Edison and the choir Scotland, where Calvinism dominated religious thinking is here represented by settings of Psalms 2, 96 and 107. of St. Johnʼs, 2005) after the Reformation of 1560. In whatever version, John Tavener has been strongly influenced by however, the Psalms remain a basic element in worship. Eastern Christianity and became a member of the Choir of St Johnʼs, Elora Psalm 47, O clap your hands together (Omnes Orthodox Church in 1977. His setting of William Blakeʼs Michael Bloss, Organ * • Noel Edison, Director gentes, plaudite) opens the present recording in a setting The Lamb was written in 1982 for the third birthday of his by William Crotch. He was born in Norwich in 1775 and in nephew. It gently matches Blakeʼs familiar words. childhood was an infant phenomenon, his promise not The French composer Francis Poulencʼs Quatre Publishers: Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers, Ltd. (2, 3); Chester Music (5); Editions Salabert (6, 0) fully realised in later life. He took his doctorate at Oxford, motets pour un temps de pénitence (Four Motets for a Oxford University Press (7); Paul Halley - pelagosmusic.com (9); Novello & Co. (@); Warner Bros. Publications (#) where he served as organist at the University Church until Time of Penitence) were written in 1938 and 1939 after Paulus Publications (www.stephenpaulus.com) ($); Faber Music Ltd. (&) 1806, when he moved to London, still retaining his title as the composerʼs return to the Catholic faith in which he had been raised. The death of a friend, the young composer where he served first as organist at Trinity College and Choir of St Johnʼs, Elora Pierre-Octave Ferroud, in a car accident in 1936 from 1887 as Professor of Music, while in London he contributed to this reconversion, together with a visit to the shared the position of Professor of Composition at the According to the communityʼs Elora Express, St Johnʼs Choir attracted local attention for its singing in the late 19th pilgrimage church of Notre Dame de Rocamadour, which newly established Royal College of Music with Hubert century. That choral tradition was revived in 1965 with the appointment of Shirley MacRae, as choral director, by Canon had a more immediate result in his Litanies à la vierge Parry. Both were influential teachers and both were Robert Hulse. She was a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music at the University of Toronto and had studied noire (Litanies for the Black Virgin). The text of Vinea mea knighted. Stanford wrote a number of settings of the organ with Dr. Charles Peaker of St Paulʼs, Bloor Street, Toronto. Shirley started a youth choir that expanded into a electa is taken from a responsory in the First Nocturn of canticles used in Morning Prayer in the Anglican liturgy. Matins on Good Friday. Timor et tremor is taken from His Te Deum in B flat was part of his Op. 10 Morning, mixed choir as her music programme grew. In 1972, the Parish was instrumental in founding the present St Johnʼs- Psalm 54 in Catholic numbering, in the Protestant tradition Communion and Evening Services, written in 1879. Kilmarnock School. The Church and School shared music directors well into the 1980s. In 1977, Noel Edison was Psalm 55. Intended in the first instance for Trinity College, invited to lead the Parish Girls Choir. (Boys still sang the treble line in the Parish Choir.) In 1982, he assumed full The English organist and choir-trainer Barry Rose Cambridge, the whole cycle conceived on symphonic responsibility for the Parish music. Noel pressed Canon Robert Hulse to let the mixed choir evolve into a professional was appointed Master of Music at Guildford Cathedral at lines, the Te Deum was orchestrated by Stanford for the adult choir. The Canon believed that the Anglican Liturgy required the best possible choral music to accompany it, so the unusually early age of 25. In 1974 he became sub- coronation of Edward VII in 1902. he was a keen supporter. The nearby Universities of Laurier, Guelph and Waterloo provided potential members from organist at St Paulʼs Cathedral and later Master of the A chorister, as a boy, at St Paulʼs Cathedral, John amongst their music students and graduates. Thus, the present all professional, 22-member choir, continues under the Choir, involved there with a number of important royal Stainer became organist at Magdalen College, Oxford, direction of Dr. Noel Edison. During Noelʼs thirty year tenure the choir has undertaken two English expeditions, including occasions. He resigned in 1984, served in Canterbury and and University Organist, in 1872 moving to St Paulʼs stops at St Paulʼs Cathedral, Windsor Castle, Coventry and Canterbury Cathedrals. The choir tours locally in Canada then from 1988 to 1997 at St Albans Cathedral. His setting Cathedral. In 1888 he was knighted and the following year and the U.S. This recording marks the choirʼs fifth recording made for Naxos.