A FESTIVAL OF PSALMS Chichester Psalms Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) 1 Psalm 108: 2; Psalm 100 [4.07] soloists: Frederick MacBruce (treble), William Towers (alto), Robert Temmink (bass) 2 Psalm 23; Psalm 2: 1–4 [5.59] soloist: Daniel Traves (treble) 3 Psalm 131; Psalm 133: 1 [8.50] soloists: Daniel Traves (treble), William Towers (alto), Simon Wall (tenor) 4 Miserere mei, Deus (ed. John Rutter) Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) [12.27] soloists: Max Shotbolt, Frederick MacBruce, Luke McWatters (trebles) Tom Williams (alto), Toby Watkin (tenor), Giles Underwood (bass) 5 Teach me, O Lord William Byrd (c.1540-1623) [3.40] soloist: Tim Travers-Brown (alto) 6 Ascribe unto the Lord Samuel S. Wesley (1810-1876) [14.43] soloists: Max Shotbolt, Frederick MacBruce, Daniel Traves (trebles) David Gould, Aaron Burchell (altos) 7 Thy word is a lantern unto my feet, Z. 61 Henry Purcell (c.1659-1695) [5.14] soloists: William Towers (alto), Simon Wall (tenor), William Clements (bass) 8 Hear my words, ye people C. H. H. Parry (1848-1918) [15.14] soloists: Max Shotbolt (treble), Giles Underwood (bass) verses: Max Shotbolt, Daniel Traves (trebles), Tom Williams (alto) Simon Wall (tenor), Giles Underwood (bass) Total timings: [70.20] THE TEMPLE CHURCH CHOIR This recording has been made possible GREG MORRIS ORGAN through a generous grant by The Temple ROBERT MILLETT PERCUSSION Music Trust, a charity founded in SALLY PRYCE HARP 1979 with the object of supporting JAMES VIVIAN DIRECTOR music in the Temple Church. www.signumrecords.com - 3 - The psalms are at the heart of both Jewish dramatically and aggressively by portions of around 1638, and joined a lengthy list of other Mozart, Burney, the Grove Dictionary and possibly and Christian liturgies and traditions. Their Psalm 2 (‘Why do the nations rage so furiously settings of the Miserere to be sung during the Mendelssohn were all participants. The Vatican messages of strife and joy, prayer and praise, together, and the people imagine a vain thing?’), Tenebrae services of Holy Week in the Sistine embargo on copying, coupled with the fact resonate strong and loud alongside the preoccupations as relevant today as in 1965 chapel. It quickly gained a position as the that the very feature which captured everyone’s teachings of the Torah and of Jesus, and find when the work was written, or 1741 when pre-eminent setting, and attracted a dedicated imagination was never written down (the special expression in musical settings (after all, Handel set the same text as part of his Messiah. following. Legend springs up quickly from improvised embellishments to the written the Greek word psallein means to make music, The main theme, given memorably to a treble this point onwards; the Vatican allegedly polyphony known as ‘abellimenti’), mean that particularly on stringed instruments). This disc is soloist (as ‘David’), actually originated in an banned performance and copying of the work we really only have echoes of what the original an exploration of all these themes, as interpreted unfinished musical, The Skin of our Teeth, and beyond the walls of the Sistine Chapel. It was piece was like. The version that has coalesced by composers over the course of four and a the central section’s outburst was unused said that breaking the embargo carried the today, performed on this disc in an edition by half centuries. material from West Side Story: recycling at penalty of excommunication. However, copies John Rutter, may capture something of the its best. The last movement continues the were leaked out by various means over the next florid arabesque for which the Sistine Chapel Leonard Bernstein was commissioned to write his lyrical vein, being a setting of Psalm 131, a song 150 years, until Charles Burney had it published choir was famous, but is unlikely to represent Chichester Psalms in 1965 by the then Organist of repose in the Lord. In the coda, which in London in 1771, when the embargo could either the correct pitch or texture that Allegri and Dean of Chichester Cathedral, John Birch and brings back the opening motifs of the piece, hold water no longer and was lifted. Burney’s set down. Whatever the degree of authenticity Walter Hussey. (John Birch succeeded Thalben-Ball Bernstein makes absolutely plain his agenda version may have been based on Mozart’s copy, about this piece, what is undisputed is Allegri’s as Director of Music of the Temple Church in 1982.) with the words ‘Behold how good and how written out from memory after his 1770 visit mastery of chordal sonority – that much is With a brilliant clarion call, Bernstein launches pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in to the chapel. Mozart was hauled in by the evident from his other, little-performed church them: ‘Awake, psaltery and harp: I will rouse unity.’ These pacifist sentiments surface in a then Pope, but instead of exacting the threatened music – and his capturing of the solemnity of the dawn’. Thus the party begins, with the number of other works by Bernstein, including punishment the Pope lavished praise on him Holy Week in arresting terms. most festive of settings of Psalm 100, better the Kaddish Symphony and the Mass. In notes for his feat of memory – a rather nice twist in known to all mattins-goers as the Jubilate. The he made while writing the Mass, Bernstein the usual tale of papal boorishness. Byrd’s Teach me, O Lord, with its alternatim orchestration of organ, harp and percussion, wrote, ‘You scream for peace, you won’t get it style of solo versus full sections, has a ritualistic the most frequently-discussed parley of that way …only peacefulness can engender Establishing what the original version of the rhythm to it – testament to its origin not as an instruments in the Psalms, is a stroke of peace’. The Chichester Psalms certainly echo Allegri Miserere might have sounded like is anthem but as a festal psalm setting. One genius, though inevitably poses challenges of this theme in their own way. virtually impossible. The transmission of the wonders which feast its text on obedience coordination and balance to the conductor. piece from the early 17th century to today’s might have fitted (it is interesting to note that The second movement is the well-beloved Allegri’s ever-popular Miserere has an interesting ‘classic’, complete with soaring solo treble, is Byrd, like Wesley, was brought to heel by his Psalm 23 (‘The Lord is my shepherd’), interrupted and contentious history. It was probably written like a game of Chinese whispers, in which clerical employers over a disciplinary matter). - 4 - - 5 - The piece is likely to date from Byrd’s early career textures, and are a similarly robust response in solo singing lay the choir’s strength. Either at Lincoln Cathedral, ie before 1572. The simple to the Psalmist’s exhortation to back the right way, the piece obviously caught people’s and clear style of word-setting bears the stamp divine horse. Wesley casts the Psalmist’s sneers imagination, as it was copied out many times of the puritan reformers, who formed a powerful at the heathen (‘They have mouths and speak in the 20 years after Purcell’s death. lobby at Lincoln. If their directives were intended not’, etc) into suitably indignant phrases, as limitations to musical free rein, Byrd developed guaranteed to raise a wry smile from the Parry’s Hear my words, written for the Salisbury the simple chordal style, such as we hear in Cathedral lay-clerks charged with delivering Diocesan Choral Association’s Festival in 1894, this piece, into a thing of considerable charm; them. All but nine of the Cathedrals and was first heard sung by around 2000 singers, one of history’s minor, yet delicious, triumphs of collegiate churches of England and Wales including 400 in the semi-chorus and art over dogma. subscribed to Wesley’s Anthems when it was accompanied by the brass ensemble of the published, and also a certain Franz Liszt, who Portsmouth Royal Marines. Responding to the Samuel Sebastian Wesley was sworn into post presumably signed up when he was in Exeter – practical needs of such a large gathering of as Organist of Winchester Cathedral on October a testament to the vanguard position held by forces, Parry writes much in tuneful unison for 5th 1849, following periods of varying Wesley in contemporary church music. the main choir, but intersperses demanding contentment at Exeter Cathedral and Leeds solos for bass and treble, aria-like in their Parish Church. Ascribe unto the Lord was written Though it seems churlish to point it out in such breadth, and stirring instrumental interludes. in 1851 and published in 1853. A number of a charming piece, pragmatism was probably a The brilliant ‘all together now’ of ‘O Praise ye anthems date from early in his Winchester prime mover in the composition of Thy word is a the Lord’ brings the piece to a roof-raising tenure, perhaps indicating a happier lantern. As in a number of Purcell’s anthems, the conclusion. In the same way that the tune Repton accommodation to the church yoke than in full choir has relatively little to do, the bulk of (‘Dear Lord and Father of mankind’) was extracted his previous appointments. In Ascribe, Wesley the piece being given to soloists and groups from his Oratorio, Judith, Parry later adapted rides the post-Elijah wave of enthusiasm for of ‘verse’ singers. Was this due to pressure ‘O Praise ye the Lord’ as the hymn-tune the theme of condemnation of idolatry. Indeed, of rehearsal time or even a decline in standards? Laudate Dominum, contributing yet another this work is almost a condensation of It is difficult to say, as we cannot presently date ‘classic’ to the hymn book.