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Sacred Choral Music by Frank Martin & James Macmillan

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Sacred Choral Music by Frank Martin & James Macmillan Passion & Polyphony Sacred choral music by Frank Martin & James MacMillan James MacMillan (b. 1959) 1. Cecilia Virgo [4:40] Sonoro 2. Children are a heritage of the Lord [5:07] 3. Miserere [12:17] Emily Pailthorpe oboe Benjamin Roskams viola Frank Martin (1890–1974) Mass for Double Choir 4. Kyrie [4:56] Neil Ferris conductor 5. Gloria [6:06] 6. Credo [5:46] 7. Sanctus [4:18] 8. Agnus Dei [4:31] James MacMillan 9. Hymn to the Blessed Sacrament [3:40] 10. Bring us, O Lord God [6:51] 11. Data est mihi omnis potestas [4:07] 12. O Radiant Dawn [4:06] About Sonoro & Neil Ferris: ‘It was thrilling to hear the singers […] bringing such a Total playing time [66:31] range of timbre and dynamics to the performance.’ Choir & Organ ‘Sonoro aims to produce an inviting, rich timbre and pretty much perfectly achieved this […] I have no doubt that Sonoro is going places.’ Classical Source Passion & Polyphony: Sacred choral music by instantly recognisably his as the much Frank Marn & James MacMillan more complex Miserere. The choral works of Frank Marn (1890– Cecilia Virgo was commissioned by the Choir 1974) and James MacMillan (b. 1959) both of Royal Holloway where there is a tradional have an affinity with Renaissance music. annual celebraon of the patron saint of Frank Marn’s extraordinary and hearelt music. The Lan text dates from the 1500s Mass for Double Choir displays a desire to and MacMillan chose ‘to draw on the heritage move away from the extravagances of the of richly contrapuntal music from the sixteenth late-nineteenth century, especially in the century’. The work is scored for double choir; field of opera to a simpler, leaner, purer allowing for striking effects parcularly with form of musical expression. This is also true the arresng call to Cecilia at the opening of James MacMillan in our own me whose and with the use of the opposing keys of C music shows a deep connecon with both major and D major between the two choirs. early music (the Scot Robert Carver c. 1485– The overall impression is mesmerising and 1570 in parcular), folk music and chant. dramac and builds to a triumphant resoluon MacMillan is one of the most successful of the harmony and texture. and sought-aer composers of his generaon. Unusually, everything he Children are a heritage of the Lord is a writes is driven and inspired by his deep decepvely straighorward seng of verses Catholic faith. He has wrien a vast from Psalm 127 about the blessing of children, amount of music to enrich the liturgy of wrien for the Marquess and Marchioness the church, (most parcularly through of Salisbury to mark the 400th anniversary the Strathclyde Motets), but even his of Haield House, where the issue of the so-called secular music, orchestral, succession through the generaons is chamber and vocal is related in some way obviously of great significance. MacMillan either to his faith or to deeply held views: here writes an essenally chordal seng theological, moral or social. Remarkably with double sopranos giving an added he is also a composer who writes for any richness to the texture. When the text standard of vocal group without reaches the words ‘Lo, children are a heritage compromising his composional integrity. of the Lord’ the soprano parts diverge and Thus, an almost hymn-like piece of real the upper line goes its own way with a wholly simplicity like O Radiant Dawn will be as separate part which feels ornamental over the top of a connuing chorale-like progression remarked how lucky he had been to learn for the rest of the choir. The importance of and sing sixteenth-century polyphony early this separate part increases the intensity of on. One senses a hand from the past raised the message and the impassioned, imploring in blessing on the present. nature connues right to the end where the top line is le all alone. Frank Marn’s Mass for Double Choir is a product of Marn’s early maturity and dates Miserere was commissioned by the Flanders from 1922. It is an outstanding and original Fesval and first performed in Antwerp on work, which shows Marn’s deep 29 August 2009. The text is from Psalm 51 understanding of and sympathy for choral (verses 3–21) and is the same as was sound. Marn was highly self-crical and famously set by Allegri (MacMillan also sets oen refused to allow his music to see the it in Lan). It is scored for eight voice parts light of day unl he was completely but MacMillan varies his ‘orchestraon’ sasfied with it. The Mass is a good example widely during the course of twelve or so of this recence waing forty years unl minutes the piece takes to perform. All 1963 for its first performance. At the me the familiar fingerprints are here including he wrote, ‘I considered it to be a maer the ‘Scotch-snap’ style ornaments always between God and myself. I felt that a directed to be sung on the beat and, as personal expression of religious belief with the other works discussed here, should remain secret and hidden from quasi-chant like melodic lines which add public opinion.’ to the melessness of this music. The work is profoundly effecve and deeply moving. Marn’s approach to the wring of this MacMillan has spoken before of the Mass is essenally contrapuntal and he audience needing to fully engage with the uses melodic lines which take their process of performance – in other words to inspiraon from Gregorian chant. This focus and concentrate on what they are brings a wonderful sense of flow to the hearing and thus to be much more acvely music. However, nothing is more original involved in allowing the music to work its or aurally arresng than the quasi plainsong magic and the words to truly communicate. or folk-influenced opening of the ‘Kyrie’ with This is part of his skill as a composer. In this its ornamental notes and its sense of spiritual journey one senses a deep past rhythmic freedom. This freedom soon infecng all that is present and MacMillan becomes harnessed as the other parts join in to make a kind of fugal treatment. There becomes more and more impassioned fragmented, in the series of Amens which with sopranos and altos briefly explores is a sense of supplicaon in the whole before sinking into a sublimely peaceful bring us back to the original key of E-flat the mystery of the prophesy of Isaiah movement mirroring the words. ending. but in a magical and unexpected progression. before a return of the opening. A beauful, Having outlined how MacMillan avoids any rocking Amen concludes this lovely piece. The ‘Gloria’ begins with a figure which Hymn to the Blessed Sacrament is one of reflecon of Harris’s seng, there is no breathes like a rumour as the whisperings MacMillan’s earliest works, dang from 1980. doubt that he is wring within the © 2018 Neil Ferris and Paul Spicer of the word ‘Gloria’ move around the choir. The contrapuntal wring in the instrumental connuing Brish choral tradion at its best. There are moments of drama, and secons lines seems very much an influence of his of repose where the second choir sits on teacher Kenneth Leighton and also reminiscent One of the Strathclyde Motets, Data est mihi We would like to thank all of our supporters an open fih chord of D whilst the first choir of Vaughan Williams. Over the weaving oboe omnis potestas is a richly scored, upliing, for making this recording possible, especially: sings in unison, plainsong-like again. The and viola texture is a simple seng of the St celebratory motet for one of the major extended ‘Credo’ is full of contrasts and Thomas Aquinas hymn and gives a glimpse feast days of the Chrisan year. The Brigid Aglen word painng. The ‘crucifixus’ is tellingly of where the Strathclyde Motets come from; opening rising interval (a ninth in the first Paul Alla agonised with the tenors vying with each simple, effecve and original sacred music. soprano and first tenor, and sevenths and Dudley Buchanan other to outdo the last part in its sense fifths in the other parts) launches the piece Sarah Counter of angst. The ‘Et resurrexit’ flows and leads William Harris’s seng of John Donne’s in a heavenward trajectory and the double Stephen Doherty to a dance at ‘Et in spiritum sanctam’ Bring us, O Lord God together with his choir scoring gives it a surround-sound Helen Edwards before taking us foursquare to a triumphant extraordinary anthem Faire is the Heaven, blaze of musical light. A second secon Chrisne Evans and affirmave conclusion. represent a pinnacle of tweneth-century sets the sopranos and later the tenors Phil & Viv Ferris a cappella wring. It is a tribute to James and basses on Monteverdi-like cadenza Cos & Christella Gerolemou The ‘Sanctus’ is gentle and flowing whilst MacMillan’s strength of musical personality passages in falling thirds. A final outburst Owen Hanmer the ‘pleni’ is rhythmically lopsided but that he can so completely put aside any of three sky-rockeng Alleluias ends the Peter Hickson excing as it leads to the ‘Hosanna’. The remnant of aural reminiscence in his own motet and leaves a memorable impression. Kathy Higgins ‘Benedictus’ begins with a mesmerising seng. This is a deeply fervent and moving Monika Jorgensen repeon of the opening words by the representaon of Donne’s powerful words. O Radiant Dawn is another of the Strathclyde Virginia Learmond second choir, which is taken up with almost There is something of the musical mantra Motets and is built from simple separated David McLaughlin eastern-style harmony by the firsts.
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