HAVPCD380 – Twelve Astrological preludes for piano

Roderick Elms studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and he appears in concerts and recordings with most of Britain’s major orchestras both as a principal keyboard player and as a soloist. He has broadcast regularly for the BBC since the late seventies on Radio 3 as well as for Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night. For several years he was London pianist to the eminent cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. His solo recordings include, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), the Warsaw Concerto (a Classic FM favourite) the Spellbound Concerto and da Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

Other recordings include Frank Martin’s Ballade for Piano and Orchestra with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and music of Spolianski and Charles Williams (including The Dream of Olwen) with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Film scores on which he has performed include Aliens, Dangerous Liaisons and the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A career highlight came in 2009 when he was invited to be guest celeste soloist for the BBC’s CBeebies programme ZingZillas – much to the amusement of his young son! As an organist, he has recorded an extensive list for EMI and Chandos which includes all the major oratorios of Elgar and the award-winning recording of Britten’s War Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra. An album of organ music by Percy Whitlock was released by Herald in 2010.

Moody Moves started life in 2005 when I wrote the movement Funky Fugato as a short encore for members of the Aurora Ensemble – in that particular recital just oboe, clarinet, bassoon and piano. I revisited the piece early in 2011 with the intention of expanding it for the whole ensemble and the consequence of that dabbling was a full-length concert piece of six movements for piano and wind quintet. The opening movement, Amorous Antiphon, starts in a fantasia-like style featuring all the instruments and leads directly to Precocious Prelude – a lively syncopated allegro based on a minimalist figure heard at the outset. I had originally been thinking of this movement as the basis of a second concert piece for piano-duet and orchestra but the opening wind figure seemed to lend itself to a more wind-based piece.

Retro Romance begins with a sweeping horn solo which is developed by all the instruments in turn before a central section featuring the cor anglais. Funky Fugato is in a quasi-contrapuntal style in which the instruments imitate each other at various intervals and in a plethora of time signatures and syncopated rhythms.

HAVPCD381 – Catholic Meditations with Music

Meditations and Chants for Lent. Our Meditations and Chants are loosely based on Matins, the traditional Night Office of the Catholic Church. From the time of the Early Church until the twentieth century, this Office was recited by the clergy and religious on behalf of the people, and for most of the history of the Church was considered to be their principal responsibility. In great monasteries and collegiate churches the entire Office was sung, and would occupy two or three hours during the night. Few communities still celebrate the whole Office, and even in the great reformed abbeys of France, Matins is usually recited on one note instead of being sung in full. It is unlikely, therefore, that you will be able to hear anywhere else the Chants that we have recorded.

Matins consisted largely of Psalms, interspersed with Readings from Scripture and early Church writers, the “Fathers”. After each reading is a Responsory, usually a few verses of Scripture, repeated and modulated to act as a reflection on the theme of the preceding Reading, and of Lent in general. On Sundays, Matins always began with an Invitatory (Psalm 94), followed by a Hymn. After this came three Nocturns: the first comprised twelve Psalms, after which came three Readings from Scripture with their Responsories. The second Nocturn, of three Psalms, had three Readings from the great writings of the Early Church. The third Nocturn, also of three Psalms, was followed by the Gospel of the day with three Readings from a commentary on that Gospel. Outside Lent the Office concluded with the Te Deum. On weekdays after the Hymn and Invitatory there was only a single Nocturn, of twelve psalms, with three Readings, commentaries on the Gospel.

HAVPCD382 – Dietrich Buxtehude

Christopher Eastwood began his musical studies as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral, under the direction of James O’Donnell. In addition to the Cathedral’s daily services, Christopher also sang for concerts and television & radio broadcasts as well as numerous recordings on the Hyperion label. Christopher read music at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he was the Senior Organ Scholar with responsibility for the choir and the music in the college chapel.

Under his guidance the choir undertook tours to the North of England and Venice. During this period he also directed the choir in a recording of music by the Wesley family, which was released in 2003 to favourable reviews. Christopher previously held the post of Organ Scholar at Portsmouth Cathedral, during which time he toured with the choir to Belgium and Holland, as well as to Caen for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which involved radio broadcasts for Radio 3 & 4. He was subsequently appointed as Organ Scholar at Westminster Cathedral, accompanying the Cathedral Choir for the daily sung services, and, in 2005, for the live broadcast on the occasion of the Requiem Mass for Pope John Paul II.

Christopher has been Director of Ealing Abbey Choir since 2006 and, as well as the weekly sung services, has led the choir on successful tours to Italy, France and the USA.

Ealing Abbey Choir was founded in 1910 by Dom Cyril Rylance (a monk of the monastery), coming into existence as the Catholic Church in England was rediscovering its musical heritage through the works of Renaissance composers and Gregorian chant. The choir’s repertoire of Gregorian chant and Latin polyphony is now enhanced by the inclusion of many works by twentieth century composers. The Abbey Choir consists of treble choristers and six professional lay clerks. The choristers are all pupils of St Benedict’s School, Ealing, London, where they are musically active.

The Choir’s principal commitment revolves around the liturgy in the Abbey Church each week and especially during Christmas and Easter. Outside of the liturgy the choir is extremely active. The choir has made recordings on the Herald label, including motets by Bruckner and Personent Hodie, a CD of music for Advent & Christmas, and has toured extensively across Europe & USA. The choir gives regular concert performances including, most recently, Bach’s St John Passion, Handel’s Messiah and Orff’s Carmina Burana.”

HAVPCD375 – Adoremus in Aeternam

A historical survey of music specifically written for the organ from the 16th century through to the present day for use in the Mass and at Benediction. The sequence displays great variety, and progresses from a rousing Introduction by Boely, through Kyries, Gloria, Epistle, Offertory, Sanctus, Benedictus, Elevation of the Host, Agnus Dei (a glorious largescale setting by the incomparable J S Bach), Communion, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Adoration, Benediction (the music specially composed for use in Worksop Priory Church), to the final triumphant setting by Gigout of Let us adore for ever the Most Holy Sacrament, complete with cymbelstern. Other composers include Scheidemann, Couperin, Byrd, Grunberger, Titelouze, Messiaen, Tournemire, Zipoli, Overbury, Gigault, Banchieri, Vaughan Williams, Boellmann, Bermudo, and Aguilera. There is splendour, intensity of devotion, beauty, solemnity, anguish, delight, and joy – the whole range, in fact, of spiritual responses to the Sacred Mysteries.

Worksop Priory This great Church and Priory were founded by Sir William De Lovetot, a local landowner living at Worksop Manor, in the year 1103. A Parish Church existed on the site before the Monastery. The Priory was for the Order of St Augustine and dedicated to St Cuthbert. Sandstone was used from a quarry at Steetly, a few miles away on the Derbyshire border. It was completed in 1170 (the year of the Martydom of Thomas a Becket) during the reign of King Henry II. In 1140 King Stephen visited the Priory and dedicated the name of St Mary additionally to that of St Cuthbert.

Two crusades went from the Priory – the third crusade with King Richard I Coeurdelion – and also the fifth crusade. The Nave, windows, roof and doors (oak from the nearby Sherwood Forest) are in the magnificent early Norman Romanesque style. In November 1538 King Henry VIII began confiscating all Monasteries in England. It is interesting to note that King Henry VIII became Patron of the Priory in 1544. The Lady Chapel architecture is early English Lancet Perpendicular and the contrast between the main body of Church and the Lady Chapel is very evident. The Lady Chapel is unique in being a double War Memorial which was constructed by Lady Maud Furnival in memory of her husband Lord Gerard Furnival who was killed in the Crusades. Little remains of the monastic buildings today, but the present Church and its Gatehouse occupy part of the site that was once a very large and powerful Monastery, and has also played a great part in the history of England.

HAVPCD379 – Advent Procession

In Chichester Cathedral the Church’s year has, for many years, started with an Advent Processionrather than an Advent Carol Service. This liturgical pilgrimage round the cathedral is an outward sign of an inward spiritual journey in which we all are invited to share at different levels.First, there is a movement from darkness to light. The procession begins in darkness with the Lay Vicars singing the plainsong hymn: ‘Creator of the stars of night’. Then candles are lit and the cathedral is gradually illuminated more and more until Luke’s account of the Annunciation to Mary and the singing of the Magnificat announces the coming light of Christ mirrored in Benjamin Britten’s setting of Hymn to the Virgin: ‘Darkest night, and comes the day Salutis’.

It is a reminder that, by the grace of Christ, every Christian is called, in the words of the Advent Collect, to ‘cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light’.

Secondly, the predominant liturgical movement in the Advent Procession is from west to east because from the second century onwards turning east has been associated with looking for the coming Kingdom of God. This central theme is reinforced by using the words of the Advent Antiphons and the prophecies of the Old Testament to move us from eager longing to the realised hope of the coming King. So, at this point in the service, the choir sing anthems based on Old Testament texts or concepts: William Byrd’s ‘Laetentur coeli’, Otto Goldschmidt’s ‘A Tender Shoot’, E.W. Naylor’s ‘Vox Dicentis’ and Thomas Weelkes’ ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’.

Finally, the Procession culminates in a movement from penitence to praise, from judgement to justification. Musically this section begins with the wonderful setting of the Advent Prose by Richard Lloyd – ‘Be not very angry, O Lord, neither remember our iniquity for ever’ – and moves to the peace of the coming Kingdom in Paul Manz’s exquisite setting of words based on the Book of Revelation…

HAVPCD374 – Most Blessed and Glorious Lady
(To be released in March 2012)

A recording made with the Aid to the Church In Need to help Christians who suffer persecution or oppression for their faith.

The liturgical character of life at Lviv’s Seminary of the Holy Spirit encourages the formation of cantor groups in each seminary class, and each of these in turn leads the liturgical singing in the seminary’s chapel. These groups are composed of seminarians who have a good knowledge of the Church Typikon as well as of liturgical music. These groups are the bearers of the musical traditions of our seminary. However, there has always been a need for a small seminary choir that would be able to perform Church music professionally and set the tone for the life of the seminary community. This group could also represent the seminary in artistic, cultural and religious circles. As a result, every few years, a group of fellow seminarians gathered for this very purpose, but they never formed a permanent choir.

There had long been the idea of creating a stable group; however, it was only in 2006 that it was brought to life. At this time the octet began its work in a new format and in October 2008 it took the name “Theophoros” (from the Greek “God bearer”). Its major task is to work on the best examples of liturgical music, which then come to life in the seminary’s liturgical services. The octet’s particular heritage is a combination of some famous and some unknown compositions of sacred music, which differ in character and genres. Most of these pieces have been included on this album.

HAVPCD373 – Festival of Faith
(To be released in March 2012)

A recording made with the Aid to the Church In Need to help Christians who suffer persecution or oppression for their faith.

In 2008, the Seminary of the Holy Spirit in Lviv, Ukraine, celebrated the 225th anniversary of its foundation. To mark this occasion, several events took place over the course of the year that were designed to honour all those who, throughout the years of the seminary’s existence, zealously worked on the formation of priestly vocations. One of these events was the Festival of the Choirs of Greek Catholic Seminaries that took place on 6th December 2008 at the seminary in Lviv. The festival’s aim was to invite other seminaries to the celebration in order to experience the happiness of the jubilee together.

The festival of seminary choirs was a place for the seminary communities to meet and communicate, providing an opportunity to get to know one another better and share their accomplishments in the realm of choral music.

HAVPCD369 – Choral Music from Coventry Cathedral

Alistair Reid began his musical career as a treble at St Mark’s Church, Surbiton, Surrey and began playing the organ at the age of 13. In 1994, he became Organ Scholar of Hertford College, Oxford, where he conducted various choirs and orchestras, including the Oxford Chamber Choir. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he crossed the Atlantic to become Organ Scholar at Christ Church, Greenwich, Connecticut, while continuing his studies with Gerre Hancock at St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City.

COVENTRY CATHEDRAL CHOIR The boy choristers of Coventry Cathedral are drawn from schools around the city and they sing two services in the Cathedral each week. After a period of decline in numbers, the choirs has recently undergone a resurgence of recruitment and sponsorship. Having originally been drawn from one independent school in the city, the boy choristers are now drawn from the city at large, with at least fifteen schools represented. A complete reworking of the choir’s rehearsal schedule was undertaken in 2007-2010 and the choir is now back on course fulfilling its original roles of singing choral services in Coventry and performing as an international ambassador ensemble of reconciliation with, amongst others, centres of the Cross of Nails worldwide.

HAVPCD370 – Follow the Star

This latest CD release by the choir of Wakefield Cathedral seeks to bring to public attention some of the lesser known and unusual compositions and arrangements of the Christmas repertoire, whilst including favourite melodies every listener will enjoy. The tracks take the form of a journey through Advent to the birth of Christ, ending with the visit of the Magi at the Epiphany.

Many of the tracks are composed or arranged by contemporary composers, including ‘O leave your sheep’ by Wakefield old chorister, Kenneth Leighton. Perhaps of particular interest is the treble voices arrangement of “People look East” by Paul Trepte, and the Spanish Carol ‘Riu riu chiu’ by Mateo Flecha. Mack Wilberg’s playful arrangement of ‘Ding dong merrily on high’ has gained in popularity since it was performed during Carols from Kings in 2009, but has rarely been recorded.

The CD displays well the independent top lines of boy and girl choristers, gloriously bringing them together for some tracks, and there is also the opportunity to hear two contrasting organ works,“Epiphanie” by Gaston Litaize being particularly little known. Throughout the disc however, the organists manage to extract many of the outstanding and varied colours from the Cathedral’s Compton organ.

This recording marks the first collaboration on CD of the new music department in Wakefield Cathedral, Simon Earl and Thomas Moore having been appointed to their respective positions in January 2011.