[ Signum / CD ]
Release Date: Friday 25 October 2019
This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.
Magnificat was recorded to explore the breadth of imagination with which composers have approached the texts, which have been sung in Christian worship for over 1000 years. Stanford's starting point was the Germanic symphonic tradition; Howells took his inspiration from the architecture and acoustics of the Cathedral in Gloucester; Tippett was inspired by the unique Spanish trumpet stop at St John's.
With the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis being part of the daily evensong, the choir sings an arrangement of the texts in some form at least once everyday. This is therefore a collection of pieces which the choir sing on a regular basis. The Evening Cantincles chosen for this record relate to a particular period of music making in the life of St John's conductor, Andrew Nethsingha; his time at the Royal College of Music; at Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals, and lastly his time at St John's.
Founded in the 1670s, The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world - known and loved by millions for its rich, warm and distinctive sound, expressive interpretations and ability to sing in a variety of styles.
"While this album looks like echt Anglicanism - all Mags and Nuncs - it reflects a broader musical mind…We also hear a choir that sings with extreme perception of blend (vowel and timbre), words and phrasing; a true ensemble that understands how a legato might be intensified or slackened, how a colour can be shaded and twisted and how to react to an organ however it's throttled" - Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice, Awards Issue 2019
"The Tippett, opening with an arresting organ fanfare (organist Glen Dempsey), sounds the most inventive and brilliant, while the Howells and Jackson, like the rest of the disc beautifully sung, capture a wintry mood of dusk and meditation." The Observer
Stanford: Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A: Magnificat
Stanford: Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A: Nunc Dimittis
Leighton: Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (The Second Service)
Sumsion: Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in A
Howells: Magnificat & Nunc dimittis (Gloucester, 1946)
Jackson, Gabriel: Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis (Truro Service)
Tippett: Magnificat & Nunc dimittis (Collegium Sancti Johannis Cantabrigiense)