BLUEBIRD

An album of music
to pacify the age of anxiety

The Choir of New College Oxford
Capricorn Ensemble

directed by Edward Higginbottom


Decca 466 870-2

Recorded in New College Chapel, Oxford
Playing time : 76'32"   DDD

Reviews

"This famous choir now has a history (albeit a fairly recent one) of putting together programmes likely to have a wider appeal than those devoted to a single composer or to music for the Anglican liturgy. This new recording takes its title from Stanford's imaginative and readily memorable setting of The Blue Bird... The various pieces follow one another smoothly, with scarcely a break in sound or disruption of the pervasive tranquillity. Performances are fine: choral tone and balance sensitively controlled, with forms of accompaniment nicely varied to include harp and strings as well as organ."

The Gramophone

"A serene album of music which mixes forgotten masterpieces, invigorating new arrangements, and some works that remain ever popular."

Metro


John Rutter (b. 1945)

1      What sweeter music

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

2     The Blue Bird

Traditional

3     Te Lucis ante terminum

arr. Higginbottom after Song of the Birds (Casals)

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

4     Crux fidelis

arr. Higginbottom after "Ombra ma fu" (Xerxes)

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

5     Ave Maria

arr. from Bach's Prelude No. 1 BWV 846

Ben Hulett (Tenor)

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

6     Ave maris stella

Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)

7     Amen from Lo, the full, final sacrifice, opus 26

Alexander Grechaninov (1864-1956)

8     Creed

from Liturgy of St.John Chrysostom, No.2, opus 29
Ben Hulett (Tenor)

Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941)

9     God be in my head

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

10    Lugebat David

arr. Higginbottom after "Pavane", opus 50

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

11   "Nyne otpushchayeshi"

from Vespers (All-Night Vigil), opus 37
Ben Hulett (Tenor)

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

12   Beati quorum via

John Tavener (b. 1944)

13   Song for Athene

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

14   "Blazhen muzh"

from Vespers (All-Night Vigil), opus 37

John Taverner (c. 1490-1545)

15   Mater Christi

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

16   Ave maris stella

Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868)

17   O salutaris hostia

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

18   O sacrum convivium

Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)

19   O Weisheit from Seven Magnificat Antiphons

Edgar Bainton (1880-1956)

20   And I saw a new heaven