Roderick Williams Sacred Choral Works

RODERICK WILLIAMS A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER of the piece to suit the brief. I realise that it is certainly important to me that choir members SACRED CHORAL WORKS A good friend once suggested to me that my enjoy singing my music, even if they can compositions tended to take on the flavour of sometimes find it initially challenging. whatever piece I happened to be singing at the time. I realise there is quite some truth in this, I am hugely grateful to Ralph Allwood, a 1 Let nothing trouble you * [7.30] 0 O Saviour of the World [5.08] as this current survey of my choral compositions significant figure in my singing career since I Daisy Walford soprano, Archie Buchanan tenor q O Adonai [8.24] over the years will testify. It might initially be first attended one of his choral courses in my 2 O guiding night [7.59] Daisy Walford soprano, Michael Lafferty baritone hard to discern a consistent, individual style in teens, and to the Old Royal Naval College Trinity 3 Christmas Bells [3.49] w Mary had a baby [2.00] the selection of music on this disc and easier Laban Chapel Choir for honouring me with a instead to guess which composer’s language I whole disc of my music. Several of these pieces 4 And a Little Child Shall Lead them [8.05] Andrew Woodmansey tenor Rebecca Leggett alto e La Trinité qui ne change jamais [3.13] may have been imitating. However, I have come to here I had never heard before, as my performing realise that my working life as a choral musician schedule often prevents me from attending 5 Love bade me welcome [4.32] r Ave verum corpus re-imagined [4.55] and soloist has exposed me to a wide range of premières, and others I have not heard for 6 Children, go where I send thee [4.37] Matthew Norriss tenor music, which has affected me profoundly. Every decades. The dedication which Ralph, the Jocelyn Coates soprano, Simon Oakley alto, t The Lord’s Prayer [2.57] Andrew Woodmansey tenor Jocelyn Coates soprano, Archie Buchanan tenor piece I have ever sung will have informed me whole choir and its administrative support have 7 Hymne [3.39] y This is the work of Christ [3.29] as a composer in some way. I learn from everyone shown has been very moving for me to witness. and anyone I can. Likewise the Signum recording team, headed 8 Holy Father, Great Creator [4.29] by the ever-wise Adrian Peacock, has made 9 Quare fremuerunt gentes? [5.07] Total timings: [80.12] I find most often that the choice of text will music out of my youthful scribbles. Without the Roderick Williams baritone suggest a musical style and I will express myself efforts of all these musicians, technicians and within that framework. This is not so much a staff, my music would remain dormant, just a lesson in compositional pastiche, more that the figment of my memory. musical inspiration usually comes to me as I read the words and I am happy to compose in I am deeply grateful to all of you who have made OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE TRINITY LABAN CHAPEL CHOIR whatever style results. I am also a practising and this disc possible. JONATHAN EYRE PIANO practical musician, aware that my commissions RALPH ALLWOOD CONDUCTOR can be for choirs of different standards, amateur Roderick Williams, 2017 * CONDUCTED BY JONATHAN EYRE or professional, and I try to tailor the demands www.signumrecords.com - 3 - RODERICK WILLIAMS PROGRAMME NOTES wife, also a good friend and supporter from deliver the piece in good time for the choir to SACRED CHORAL WORKS those days, caught up with me at a weak rehearse and perform it. Julian will remember Let nothing trouble you moment during a party and wondered if I might from our student days that this hadn’t always I have admired the singing and musicianship O Guiding Night be able to write a Christmas carol for an annual been the case previously. of Roderick Williams since, as a young man, he Let nothing trouble you and O Guiding Night charity appeal run by the newspaper. Each came on an Eton Choral Course. It has only were both commissioned by the Genesis year a new carol is printed in the paper and Love bade me welcome come to my attention relatively recently that Project for a recording by The Sixteen. Director broadcast on YouTube. I assured her that I George Herbert’s poem was one of the earliest he also composes. With so many conservatoire of the choir Harry Christophers and project still had time to provide her with something songs I ever wrote for my solo baritone voice, vocal students singing in the choir, it seemed commissioner John Studyzinski are passionate and, fortunately, soon came across this accompanied by my younger brother on classical a perfect idea to make a recording entirely about adding practical contemporary music Longfellow poem. I had it in mind that many guitar. I had found a volume of Herbert’s devoted to his music. Thank you, Timothy Teague, to the everyday repertoire of Catholic Worship. modern Christmas carols tend towards the poems in my father’s study and became quite for that idea. They were specific in their brief that these slow and atmospheric so I especially wanted obsessed with the metaphysical poetry. Later I new works be appealing and approachable to write something with a bit of energy. I also encountered many iconic settings of this It is extraordinary how varied in style his music both for regular church choirs and for their felt that the poem reflected some of the dark particular poem, not least the one by Ralph is. He told me that whenever he is working congregations. John proposed the texts, providing times in the world which the FT is duty bound Vaughan Williams from the Five Mystical Songs. on an opera or a performance of any sort, mystical prayers that have particular personal to report, even if the poem’s final message is And yet I have always found room for further he gets so immersed in the style of that resonance for him. Let nothing trouble you is one of hope. readings of the text. When looking for a suitable composer that ideas for choral music in the written for unaccompanied four-part choir with anthem for the Jazz Matins, I came back to same idiom occur to him; and he writes. I am as little division in the parts as possible. O And a Little Child Shall Lead Them these lyrics once again. My intention was to grateful to him for his enthusiasm for the Guiding Night is written for choir with organ Only a few years after graduating from university, contrast the anxiety and wretchedness of the project. He even wrote a new piece for him to or piano and also utilises frequent homophony a friend of mine from college days, Julian soul with the infinite compassion of Love. sing with us. I imagined a nice gentle lyrical to convey the text as well as interplay between McNamara, contacted me through his position piece with ooos and ahs and him singing the voice parts to give an feeling of barely as choir master for the English Church in Hymne lyrically and perhaps a little cheesily above suppressed, ecstatic energy. Geneva. He kindly asked me to write a piece Dedicated to my brother-in-law and his bride a rich but gentle choral texture. How wrong for the choir, adding that one of the altos had on their wedding day, I chose a French text to can one be? Christmas Bells a particularly fine voice. This was most likely reflect the bride’s dual nationality and this in A good friend of mine from my university days my first proper choral commission and turn suggested a lyrical, French style for Ralph Allwood MBE has since spent most of his professional life although I remember wrestling with it for composition. The choir on the wedding day as a journalist for the Financial Times. His quite some time, I was pleased to be able to was made up of many friends and relatives

- 4 - - 5 - who dealt with the technical demands of the O Saviour of the World building and his description. The sopranos together. I decided that a French text would piece on a single rehearsal with great panache. Similar in a sense to Suzi Digby’s William improvise on a small fragment of the text led be suitable for the occasion even though I had Byrd project (see Ave Verum Corpus Re-imagined), by a soloist, positioned in the upper gallery very little experience at that time of singing Holy Father, Great Creator I was asked by conductor Eamonn Dougan to like angels, imitating each other almost or writing in French. Nonetheless, the sprung Occasionally I am approached to write music respond to Thomas Tallis’ Salvator Mundi in like birdsong. The rest of the choir is placed rhythms of Tippett meet with the harmonies for singers or choirs with whom I have no order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the downstairs, behind the congregation if possible, of Duruflé in this energetic piece, which opens personal connection. This commission came Thomas Tallis Society. I was inspired to use representing the people, anxious in their out into an optional three-choir canon in the out of the blue from a choir in North Leigh and the same scoring and also the melodic outline supplication. They have more of the text but closing Alleluia section. my intention was to write a flexible piece that of Tallis’ original but refracted through twenty- not all of it. Only the celebrant, a solo voice, could be performed with or without organ first-century eyes. I felt it was particularly has the full text, and this is sung right out Ave verum corpus re-imagined and would be demanding yet practical for a important that the anguish behind this text in plain view of everyone. Suzi Digby with the choir ORA approached me regular church choir. be apparent. as one of several composers for a project to Mary had a baby write new music to reflect on earlier choral Quare fremuerunt gentes? O Adonai Children, go where I send thee masterpieces. She chose William Byrd as her This most recent commission from Ralph Jeffrey Skidmore, director of Ex Cathedra, These spiritual arrangements are two of several first subject for a recording which juxtaposes Allwood and the Choir of The Old Naval planned to celebrate the millennium with a that were commissioned by Oxford University performances of Byrd anthems and motets Chapel, Greenwich was written in turbulent project of O Antiphons, commissioning a range Press for their Spirituals for Choirs volumes. alongside their contemporary counterparts. I political times, both in the UK and around of composers to provide specific music for the Although they have an optional piano part, was very fortunate to be allotted Ave Verum the world. Added to that were images of war, choir’s famous advent sequences at St Paul’s they were also specifically designed to be sung Corpus, a favourite piece of mine from my treble terror and destruction both in the Middle East Church in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham. unaccompanied, as desired. The idea was to days. I still remember how eagerly I used to and on the streets of any major city around I met Jeffrey at the church and he described give all the voice parts a decent crack at the wait for the false relations in the final the world; each morning the television news to me how the choral sequences often begin melodies and, hopefully, to be great fun to sing. miserere section. This love of clashing harmonies seemed to broadcast another unspeakable by candlelight, with the choir at the back suggested to my adult self a piece that preserves atrocity from near and far. As a choral singer of this beautiful, Georgian church, sometimes La Trinité qui ne change jamais all my fondest moments of the original and I have spent a great deal of my time singing even upstairs in the gallery, and how the event A year or two after I had written And a little expands on Byrd’s sound world in between. for or about the idea of peace. It would gradually transforms into light as the choir child shall lead them, I had an enquiry from seem these prayers may more often than not processes to the front. By the end of our Paul Spicer for a piece to celebrate an occasion The Lord’s Prayer ring a little hollow. meeting, the shape and sound world of this when three Anglican Church choirs located in While still a university student, I discovered a piece were clear in my mind, inspired by the mainland Europe would be meeting to perform disc of Russian Orthodox Music as recorded by

- 6 - - 7 - the Tallis Scholars. It made a great impression TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS This guided me 3 Christmas Bells on me and I was especially struck by a beautiful more surely than the light of noon double choir Lord’s Prayer by Rachmaninov 1 Let nothing trouble you to where he was awaiting me I heard the bells on Christmas day from his Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. I – him I knew so well – Their old familiar carols play, wondered what it might be like to create Let nothing trouble you, there in a place where no one appeared. And wild and sweet the words repeat something in its image that would be suitable Let nothing frighten you, Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! for use in Anglican Choral Evensong. So I wrote Everything is fleeting, O guiding night! a set of verses and responses for double choir God alone is unchanging. O night more lovely than the dawn! And thought how, as the day had come in the spirit of this Russian tradition and Patience can obtain everything, O night that has united The belfries of all Christendom this prayer is a representative excerpt. The one who possesses God wants for nothing: the Lover with his beloved, Had rolled along the unbroken song God alone suffices. transforming the beloved in her Lover. Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! This is the work of Christ Text: St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) The Choir of Wellington College, Berkshire chose Upon my flowering breast Then ringing, singing, on its way to commemorate the 150th anniversary of which I kept wholly for him alone, (in secret) The world revolved from night to day 2 O guiding night the school chapel with this Introit. In my treble There he lay sleeping, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime days I remember being particularly in awe of and I caressing him Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! One dark night, Bruckner’s unaccompanied motets and I suspect there in a breeze from the fanning cedars. fired with love’s urgent longings some of his choral and harmonic techniques Then from each black accursed mouth - O the sheet grace! - have found their way into this piece. I abandoned and forgot myself, The canon thundered in the South I went out unseen, laying my face on my Beloved; And with the sound the carols drowned my house being now all stilled. All notes © Roderick Williams all things ceased; I went out from myself, Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! leaving my cares On that glad night, forgotten among the lilies. It was as if an earthquake rent In secret, for no one saw me, The hearthstones of a continent, nor did I look at anything, Text: Juan de Yepes y Alvarez (1542-1591) And made forlorn the households born with no other light or guide Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! than the one that burned in my heart. And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said;

- 8 - - 9 - For hate is strong and mocks the song And the cow and the bear shall feed ‘My dear, then I will serve.’ O children go where I send thee. Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! Their young ones shall lie down together ‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’ So tell me, how will you send me? and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. So I did sit and eat. O I’m gonna send thee four by four ‘cos Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: And a little Child shall lead them. Four was the four that stood at the door and Text: George Herbert (1593-1633) “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain Three was the Hebrew children an’ The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord Two was Paul and Silas an’ 6 Children, go where I send thee With peace on earth, goodwill to men! As the waters cover the sea. One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born,

Peace on the earth, goodwill to men!” born in Bethlehem. Text: Isaiah XI:1-3, 6, 7, 9 Children, go where I send thee. How will you send me? Text: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) O children go where I send thee. 5 Love bade me welcome I’m gonna send thee one by one ‘cos How are you gonna send me? One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, 4 And a Little Child Shall Lead them I’m gonna send thee six by six ‘cos Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back, born in Bethlehem Six was the six that never got fixed an’ Guilty of dust and sinne. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem Five was the five that came back alive an’ But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack O children go where I send thee. of Jesse Four was the four that stood at the door an’ From my first entrance in, O sister how will you send me? And a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Three was the Hebrew children an’ Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning Well I’m gonna send thee two by two ‘cos And the spirit shall rest upon him. Two was Paul and Silas an’ If I lacked anything. Two was Paul and Silas an’ The spirit of wisdom and understanding, One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, The spirit of counsel, the spirit of might, born in Bethlehem. ‘A guest,’ I answer’d, ‘worthy to be here:’ born in Bethlehem. The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; Love said, ‘You shall be he.’ And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. O children go where I send thee. ‘I, the unkinde, ungratefull? Ah, my deare, O children go where I send thee. And shall make him of quick understanding in the How will you send me? I cannot look on Thee.’ O brother where will you send me? fear of the Lord: O I’m gonna send thee eight by eight ‘cos Love took my hand and smiling did reply, O sister I’m gonna send thee three by three ‘cos And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, Eight was the eight that stood at the gate an’ ‘Who made the eyes but I?’ Three was the Hebrew children an’ Neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: Seven was the seven that got into heaven an’ Two was Paul and Silas an’ And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Six was the six that never got fixed an’ ‘Truth, Lord; but I have marred them: let my shame One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, Five was the five that came out alive an’ Go where it doth deserve.’ born in Bethlehem. And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; Four was the four that stood at the door an’ ‘And know you not,’ sayes Love, ‘Who bore the blame?’ And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, Three was the Hebrew children an’

- 10 - - 11 - Two was Paul and Silas an’ O children, go where I send thee. Et dans mon âme inassouvie And into my unsated soul One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, How will you send me? Verse le goût de l’éternel. Pours the taste for the eternal. born in Bethlehem. I’m gonna send thee twelve by twelve ‘cos Twelve was the twelve Disciples an’ Sachet toujours frais qui parfume, Sachet, ever fresh, that perfumes O children I, I’m gonna send them ten by ten cos’ Eleven was the eleven Apostles an’ L’atmosphère d’un cher réduit, The atmosphere of a dear nook, Ten was the ten that never got in an’ Ten was the ten that never got in an’ Encensoir oublié qui fume Forgotten censer smouldering Nine was the nine that came on behind an’ Nine was the nine that came on behind an’ En secrèt à travers la nuit. Secretly through the night, Eight was the eight that stood at the gate an’ Eight was the eight that stood at the gate an’ Seven was the seven that got into heaven an’ Seven was the seven that got into heaven an’ Comment, amour incorruptible, Everlasting love, how can I Six was the six that never got fixed an’ Six was the six that never got fixed an’ T’exprimer avec vérité? Describe you truthfully? Five was the five that came back alive an’ Five was the five that came out alive an’ Grain de musc qui gis, invisible, Grain of musk that lies unseen Four was the four that stood at the door an’ Four was the four that stood at the door an’ au fond de mon éternité. In the depths of my eternity! Three was the Hebrew children an’ Three was the Hebrew children an’ Two was Paul and Silas an’ Two was Paul and Silas an’ À la très bonne, à la très belle, To the dearest, fairest woman One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, One was the liddle biddy baby that’s born, born, Qui fait ma joie et ma santé, Who is my health and my delight born in Bethlehem. born in Bethlehem. â l’ange, à l’idole immortelle To the angel, the immortal idol, Salut en l’immortalité! Greetings in immortality! Text: Traditional African-American Spiritual Text: Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867)

7 Hymne 8 Holy Father, Great Creator À la très chère, a la très belle To the dearest, fairest woman Holy Father, great creator, Holy Jesus, Lord of Glory, Qui remplit mon coeur de clarté, Who sets my heart ablaze with light, Source of mercy, love and peace, Whom angelic hosts proclaim, À l’ange, à l’idole immortelle, To the angel, the immortal idol, Look upon the mediator, While we hear thy wondrous story, Salut, salut en l’immortalité. Greetings in immortality! Clothe us with His righteousness. Meet and worship in thy name, Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father, Dear Redeemer, dear Redeemer, Elle se répand dans ma vie, She permeates my life Through the saviour hear and bless. In our hearts thy peace proclaim. Comme un air imprégné de sel, Like air impregnated with salt

- 12 - - 13 - Holy Spirit, sanctifier, 9 Quare fremuerunt gentes? w Mary had a baby Stars keep a shinin’ Yes, Lord, Come, come with unction from above, Amovin’ in the elements Yes, my Lord, Touch our hearts with sacred fire, Quare fremuerunt gentes, Mary had a baby, Yes Lord. Stood above a stable Yes, Lord; Fill them with the Saviour’s love, et populi meditati sunt inaia. Mary had a baby, Yes, my Lord. the people keep acomin’ an’ the train done gone. Source of comfort, source of comfort, Mary had a baby, Yes, my Lord; Cheer us with the Saviour’s love. Why have the Gentiles raged, the people keep acomin’ an’ the train done gone. Mary had a baby Yes Lord, and the people devised vain things? Mary had a baby Yes, my Lord, God the Lord through every nation, Where did she lay him? Yes, Lord. Mary had a baby, Yes Lord, 0 Let thy wondrous mercies shine, O Saviour of the World Laid him in a manger, Yes, my Lord. the people keep acomin’ an’ the train done gone. In the song of thy salvation, Wrapped him in the swaddlin’ Yes, Lord; Every tongue and race combine. O Saviour of the world, save us. the people keep acomin’ an’ the train done gone. What happened to the train? Great Jehovah, Great Jehovah, O Saviour of the world, help us. It done gone. Form our hearts and make them thine. Who by thy Cross and Blood What did she name him? hast redeemed us, help us Lord, Named him Jesus, Text: Traditional African-American Spiritual Alleluia, Alleluia, O help us we pray thee, O Lord our God. Almighty Saviour, Yes, Lord; Amen. the people keep acomin’ an’ the train done gone.

q O Adonai e La Trinité qui ne change jamais

O Adonai, O Mighty Lord, Grand Dieu, qui vis les cieux se former sans matière, Great Lord, who saw the heavens form without matter, et Dux domus Israel, and leader of the house of Israel, A ta voix seulement, Through your voice alone, qui Moysi in igne who appeared to Moses Tu séparas les eaux, leur marquant pour barrière You separated the waters, setting as their limit flammae rubi apparuisti, in the flame of the burning bush, Le vaste firmament. The vast firmament. et ei in Sina legem dedisti: and didst give unto him the Law on Sinai: veni ad redimendum nos come and redeem us Si la voûte céleste a ses plaines liquides, If the heavenly vault has its liquid plains, in brachio extento. with outstretched arms. La terre a ses ruisseaux, The earth has its streams, Qui contre les chaleurs portent aux champs arides Which, with their water, help the arid fields Le secours de leurs eaux: To withstand the heat:

- 14 - - 15 - Seigneur, qu’ainsi les eaux de ta grâce féconde Lord, may the waters of Thy fertile grace O Jesu fili Mariae; O Jesus, son of Mary, Réparent nos langueurs; Rectify our listlessness; Miserere mei have mercy on me. Que nos sens désormais vers les appas du monde Let our senses henceforth no longer Amen. Amen. N’entraînent plus nos cœurs. Tempt our hearts with worldly delights.

Fais briller de ta foi les lumières propices Cause with Thy faith the propitious lights A nos yeux éclairés; To shine upon our enlightened eyes; t The Lord’s Prayer Qu’elle arrache le voile à tous les artifices May Thy faith tear the veil from all the guile Des enfers conjurés. Of Hell. Our father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Règne, ô Père éternel, Fils, Sagesse incréée, Reign, O Eternal Father, Son, uncreated Wisdom, Thy kingdom come, Esprit saint, Dieu de paix, Holy Spirit, God of peace, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Qui fais changer des temps l’inconstante durée, Thou who changes the inconstant length of the years, Give us this day our daily bread; Et ne change jamais. But Thyself never changes. And forgive us our trespasses, Alléluia. Hallelujah. As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, Text: Jean Racine (1639-1699) But deliver us from evil. Amen. r Ave verum corpus re-imagined y This is the work of Christ Ave, verum corpus natum Hail, true Body, born de Maria Virgine: of the Virgin Mary, This is the work of Christ, God’s true son, Vere passum immolatum having truly suffered, the faithful saviour. in cruce pro homine. sacrificed on the cross for mankind, He is salvation and a blessed light for the Gentiles. Cujus latus perforatum from whose pierced side unda fluxit sanguine water and blood flowed: Esto nobis praegustatem Be for us a foretaste in mortis examine. in the trial of death! O dulcis, O pie, O sweet, O holy,

- 16 - - 17 - OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE The Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban The choir gives approximately one hundred TRINITY LABAN CHAPEL CHOIR Chapel Choir (ORNCTLCC) has existed in public performances each year. Its primary its current format since 2001, when Trinity purpose is to enhance the liturgy and worship of Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance the Chapel. Each week during term time there became heavily involved in the provision of is a sung Eucharist on Sundays at 11:00 and music at the Chapel. Trinity Laban is the a service of Choral Evensong service of Choral only Conservatoire in the world to support a Evensong on Mondays at 17:30. There may also Collegiate Chapel Choir. All but one member be four or five Sundays during the year when of the choir are from the Conservatoire, the liturgical seasons will be marked with a including a number of Choral Scholars (two Sunday afternoon service in addition to the sponsored by the Dame Susan Morden Charitable morning. The choir normally sings on All Souls Trust), but there are also a number of places in day, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good the choir for experienced and outstanding Friday, Ascension Day and at the Riverside volunteer singers. All members of the choir Service on Remembrance Day. In addition, are accomplished musicians, trained singers with the full choir or choral scholars contribute to the ability to both blend and also take significant a series of concerts in the Chapel alongside solo roles. The choir is supported by an a range of smaller recitals. Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Organist, and Organ Scholar and the Director of Daisy Walford Alexis Hutchinson Matthew Norriss Michael Lafferty Music. Members of the choir also have the The Choir toured to Malta in 2016, and a tour Isabella Chambers Rebecca Leggett Archie Buchanan James Lomas opportunity to perform substantial solo items to India is planned for 2018. Ralph Allwood is Anastasia Stahlmann Simon Oakley Andrew Woodmansy William Semple on a regular basis. always delighted to hear from prospective choir Henrike Legner Bethan Pezzarini Guy Elliott Dominic Eatwell members and potential choir sponsors. The Jocelyn Coates Bryony McIvor Guy Beynon John Sturt The Chapel Choir is unique amongst cathedral, Choir has launched a fundraising campaign Lizzy Humphries Alex White Lawrence Gillians church and collegiate choirs in the UK in that for the 2018 tour to India. Ralph can be Catherine Chapman Felix Wareing it has ready access to the wide range of contacted at [email protected] Hilary Cronin Tom Hill musical resources at the Conservatoire. Collaboration with orchestral and jazz musicians, historical Ralph Allwood conductor performers and composers is therefore a Jonathan Eyre piano particular feature of music in worship at the Chapel.

- 18 - - 19 - RODERICK WILLIAMS RALPH ALLWOOD

Better known to some as a baritone soloist, Ralph Allwood MBE DMus was for 26 years Roderick Williams’ reputation as a composer Director of Music at Eton College and is now a is growing steadily. His Advent antiphon O freelance choral director. He is the Director of Adonai has become something of a favourite the Eton Choral Courses, which he founded for choirs on both sides of the Atlantic in 1980. Seven thousand 16 to 20 year olds and his Ave Verum Corpus Re-imagined was have been students on courses over the last awarded the BASCA prize for Choral Composition thirty-seven years. He co-founded the Junior in 2016. Choral Courses in 2012, and in recent years has launched Courses in Shanghai. He is now Roderick’s training as a choral singer is planning courses in Melbourne and Dubai. evident in his composition for choirs. His Jazz The Rodolfus Choir, made up of the best singers Choral Evensong service was written in 2006 from the courses, has produced over 20 CDs in homage to Duke Ellington, and was broadcast since he founded it in 1982. College, Oxford, and teaches at Trinity Laban on BBC Radio 3 in June that year. This was Conservatoire and at his old school, Tiffin. In 2015 followed by a BBC Radio 4 commission for an Ralph is co-founder and conductor of Inner he co-founded the Pimlico Musical Foundation accompanying Matins service, broadcast in He has written many solo songs for himself as Voices, a choir made up of singers from state to enable children from Pimlico Primary Schools to February 2007. More recently, O Brother Man well as for friends and colleagues. Several of schools in London. He is also Director of sing in choirs, particularly at St Gabriel’s Church. – A New England Symphony was premiered, his songs have been premiered and performed Chapel Music at Queens’ College Chapel, toured and recorded by Yale Schola Cantorum. at his own recitals around the world. His Cambridge, and an Honorary Fellow of University In 2012 Ralph was awarded a Doctorate of The King’s Singers collaborated with the Chapter song A Coat appears on the NMC Songbook College, Durham. Music by Aberdeen University. He was made MBE House Choir of York Minster to commission disc, a survey of British song writing in in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list, and was Everyone Sang to mark Remembrance Sunday 2009. Roderick broadcast his own orchestrated Ralph has conducted choirs for 40 live appointed Director of Music at the Old Royal 2016. Vocal ensemble I Fagiolini premiered arrangements of Ol’ Man River and Joshua fit broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, is a judge for the Naval College in Greenwich later that year. In Roderick’s La Ci Darem La Mano at the BBC de battle of Jericho at the BBC Last Llangollen Eisteddfod and Cork International 2017, the Archbishop of Canterbury presented Chamber Proms in July 2017, followed a week Night of the Proms in 2014, accompanied by Choral Competition and has written much him with the Thomas Cranmer Award for Music later by a premiere of Silence and Music by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by music heard worldwide on radio and television. and Worship, and he became Vice-President Voice Trio at the Three Choirs Festival. Sakari Oramo. He is Choral Advisor to Novello and to Trinity of the Herbert Howells Society.

- 20 - - 21 - JONATHAN EYRE

Widely recognised as a leading liturgical We acknowledge with grateful thanks the help and support of: organist and improviser, Jonathan Eyre is Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Assistant Organist at London’s oldest church, Linda Hirst Deborah Robson Great St. Bartholomew, West Smithfield. Here, Timothy Teague he is responsible for accompanying the Chapel Staff and Stewards Brendan McCarthy eight-part professional choir, under the Chapel Fund Trustees and Chaplaincy Council direction of Rupert Gough. The Reverend Patricia Mann Miranda Williams Lucy Chivers Until September 2017, Jonathan was Chapel Gemma Chance Organist at the Old Royal Naval College, Sir Nicolas and Lady Bevan

Greenwich; where he was assistant to Dr Ralph We are indebted to Tony Hales CBE for his very generous support. Allwood MBE. During his time at the ORNC, Recorded in the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London from 21-24 April 2017. Jonathan was responsible for playing the Producer – Adrian Peacock organ for the weekly liturgies and conducting Recording Engineer – Mike Hatch the choir of students from Trinity Laban Editor, Mix and Mastering – Dave Rowell Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Prior to Cover and Tray Images – © Old Royal Naval College this, Jonathan spent four years as Sub- Tray image of Roderick Williams – © Benjamin Ealovega Design and Artwork – Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk Organist and Assistant Director of Music at St.

A graduate of the University of Sheffield, Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action Jonathan holds organ and choral directing by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance 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, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. diplomas from Trinity College London and the Royal College of Organists. SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] www.signumrecords.com

- 22 - - 23 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Birtwistle: The Moth Requiem Time and its Passing Roderick Williams baritone The Rodolfus Choir BBC Singers, Nash Ensemble Ralph Allwood conductor Nicholas Kok conductor SIGCD445 SIGCD368

“Mr. Birtwistle’s characteristic melodic angularity and rhythmic “The fresh, unforced quality of these young singers brings a complexity are duly represented in six pieces written between pleasant friction to grave-facing works like Gibbons’s “What 1965 and 2012, including two strikingly evocative recent is our life” … Rooted in a warmly present bass section, the triumphs — the buoyantly mystic “Ring Dance of the Nazarene” choral blend is always thoughtfully calibrated.” and the shadowy, haunting “Moth Requiem” — with all of it Gramophone sung supremely well.” New York Times

Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 - 20 - CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN MAGENTA Customer SignumClassics YELLOW Catalogue No.SIGCD517 BLACK Job Title: Choral Works

SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD517

WILLIAMS: SACRED CHORAL WORKS WORKS CHORAL SACRED WILLIAMS: RODERICK WILLIAMS SACRED CHORAL WORKS

1 Let nothing trouble you * [7.30] 0 O Saviour of the World [5.08] 2 q ORNCTLCC / ALLWOOD O guiding night [7.59] O Adonai [8.24] 3 Christmas Bells [3.49] w Mary had a baby [2.00] 4 And a Little Child Shall Lead them [8.05] e La Trinité qui ne change jamais [3.13] 5 Love bade me welcome [4.32] r Ave verum corpus re-imagined [4.55] 6 Children, go where I send thee [4.37] t The Lord’s Prayer [2.57] 7 Hymne [3.39] y This is the work of Christ [3.29] 8 Holy Father, Great Creator [4.29] 9 Quare fremuerunt gentes? [5.07] Total timings: [80.12] ALLWOOD / ORNCTLCC

OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE TRINITY LABAN CHAPEL CHOIR JONATHAN EYRE PIANO RALPH ALLWOOD CONDUCTOR

WILLIAMS: SACRED CHORAL WORKS * CONDUCTED BY JONATHAN EYRE

LC15723

Signum Records Ltd, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth SIGCD517