Michael Wise (c.1648–1687): Sacred Choral Music

Michael Wise Sacred Choral Music The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge G e o f f r e y We b b e r

Michael Wise Sacred Choral Music

Thomas Hewitt Jones & David Ballantyne organ scholars Geoffrey Webber conductor & solo organ

The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Anonymous [Verse] in D major

1.

Michael Wise (c.1648 – 1687) Prepare ye the way of the Lord

[4.27]

9.

2.

Christopher Gibbons (1615 – 1676) Verse for Single Organ

[2.41]

10. O praise God in his holiness

[2.23]

Michael Wise

Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy 12. Magnificat (Service in E flat) 13. Nunc dimittis (Service in E flat) 14. The ways of Sion do mourn 15. Awake, put on thy strength O Sion 11.

3.

Michael Wise How are the mighty fallen

[4.55]

4.

Christopher Gibbons A Verse for the Organ

[1.39]

5.

Michael Wise The Lord is my shepherd

6.

Matthew Locke (1622 – 1677) [Verse] for the Organ

7.

8.

Michael Wise Te Deum (Service in D minor) Jubilate Deo (Service in D minor)

Christopher Gibbons

16. [Verse] in A minor

[3.40] 17.

[1.04]

[1.16]

Michael Wise Have pity upon me, O ye my friends Anonymous

18. [Double Voluntary] in D minor

[5.36] [2.20]

Michael Wise

19. Open me the gates of righteousness

Producer: Paul Baxter Engineer: Beth Mackay 24-Bit digital editing: Adam Binks 24-Bit digital mastering: Paul Baxter

[4.39] [3.40]

Total playing time Recorded on 30 June & 1-2 July 2007 in the Chapel of Pembroke College, Cambridge, by kind permission of the Dean and Fellows.

[4.20] [4.02] [2.53] [1.58] [7.37] [5.06]

[5.50] [70.15]

Design: Drew Padrutt Photograph editing: Dr Raymond Parks Photography © Delphian Records Delphian Records Ltd – Edinburgh – UK www.delphianrecords.co.uk

With thanks to Sam Barrett, Celia Cobb, Keri Dexter, James Drinkwater, Gregory Drott and Rev’d Dr James Gardom.

Notes on the music Composers are rarely saints, yet the antics The main respectable facts of his life are as of Michael Wise, best known for his church follows. The young Michael Wise (birth date music, take some beating. He was frequently unknown) was one the first choristers of the negligent in his duties, prone to drunkenness newly re-established Chapel Royal in 1660. He and profanity, quarrelsome and accusatory, may have been recruited from Salisbury, for and chastised for unspecified ‘other excesses after a spell as a lay clerk at both St George’s in his life and conversation’. The manner of Chapel, Windsor and Eton College he was his untimely death may therefore come as appointed organist, lay vicar and instructor of no surprise – he was hit about the head the choristers at Salisbury Cathedral in 1668. and ‘kill’d downright’ by the night watchman In 1676 he was appointed a Gentleman of the in Salisbury Cathedral for ‘stubborne and Chapel Royal, but he managed to maintain his refractory language’ – and the surviving Salisbury post as well. A new chapter in his anecdotes have formed the basis of a comic life was due to begin in 1687 when James II music theatre piece by Francis Pott, Wise personally recommended him as Master of the after the Event, commissioned for London Choristers at St Paul’s Cathedral as services City Churches Week and performed in 1987 were being started up again in Wren’s new on the 300th anniversary of his death. Yet building, but he died before he was able to take Wise’s church music betrays nothing of his up the post. erratic temperament. Ian Spink has noted how his music ‘shows restraint and a sense This recording of choral works by Wise is the of decorum’. Perhaps it is easier to picture the first devoted exclusively to his music (with composer not through his church music but the addition of some contemporaneous organ through the few typically bawdy catches that music). The well-known anthems and services survive, such as ‘Counsel for Married Folks’ such as Prepare ye the way of the Lord, The and ‘A Catch on the Cats’. No music survives by ways of Sion do mourn and the Evening Wise other than his church music and catches, Canticles in E flat, still regularly performed yet his verse anthems and services were held today, can thus be heard for the first time in very high esteem by his contemporaries, alongside a selection of the rest of his output. and copies of his most admired works found It was common in the seventeenth century their way to nearly every choral establishment for anthems and services to be preceded by a in the country soon after their composition, brief organ prelude in the key of the ensuing outnumbering those by Blow and Purcell. vocal piece, and in that spirit a number of short pieces have been chosen to set the key and mood of the following piece (though

the splendid anonymous Double Voluntary is included as a free-standing item). Wise died just before the Smith/Harris revolution of English organ building was beginning to take hold in the late 1680s with the introduction of trumpet and cornet stops, so the pieces chosen here belong to the older school of composition, exemplified by two of the finest London organists of the early Restoration, the Catholic Matthew Locke and the Organist of Westminster Abbey, Christopher Gibbons (son of Orlando).

death in 1687. In some ways one is struck by the consistency of his musical style during his short lifetime. The appearance of simple but effective chromatic writing in response to the text is found both in one of his earliest anthems, Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy (for the phrase ‘raise thou me up’) and in his late masterpiece The ways of Sion do mourn (at the start). But the passing years are evident in the increased use of triple time, mirroring a general trend of the period.

The exuberant Awake, put on thy strength O Sion remains in triple time almost throughout Ian Spink’s analysis of the surviving sources of with rolling ‘Halleluiah’ choruses, though Wise Wise’s music in Restoration Cathedral Music puts the brakes on sharply at the final cadence 1660-1714 (OUP, 1995) gives a basic chronology by switching to duple time just for the final of the anthems. Of those included on this ‘Halleluiah’. Open me the gates of righteousness recording, his earliest anthems, composed also opens in triple time, but a further modern before 1666 whilst he was in the London area, trend here is the verse combination of two are Blessed is he that considereth the poor and trebles and bass, giving an Italianate trio texture. needy, Have pity upon me, O ye my friends, and O praise God in his holiness. Probably Wise was relatively unusual in giving a large dating from 1666-1670, either before or soon amount of solo material to boy choristers. after his move to Salisbury, are the anthems The decades following the Restoration saw How are the mighty fallen, Prepare ye the a general increase in the amount of verse way of the Lord, and The Lord is my shepherd. material written for the lay-clerks, and the Dating from the later end of this period is exclusive use of a trio consisting of alto, tenor Awake, put on thy strength O Sion. The other and bass in Awake, put on thy strength O two anthems on this recording appear to have Sion is another more modern feature of this been composed later, when his output seems piece, but even in Wise’s later anthems we to have greatly decreased. Open me the gates find him regularly using treble voices. Perhaps of righteousness probably dates from the late he followed the example of William Child at St 1670s, and The ways of Sion do mourn only George’s, Windsor in this respect, or perhaps survives in sources that date from after Wise’s he favoured boys’ voices ‘for their ethereal

effect and supposed connotations of innocence’, as Spink has remarked, though he also uses a treble soloist for the troubled adult themes of How are the mighty fallen and penitential anthems such as Have pity upon me, O ye my friends.

Music (three volumes, 1760-73), which included Awake, put on thy strength O Sion, The ways of Sion do mourn and an expanded version by Henry Aldrich, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, of How are the mighty fallen, now entitled Thy beauty, O Israel. Boyce’s publication probably drew Wise to the attention of the historian The early rapid dissemination of Wise’s church Charles Burney, who wrote in enthusiastic music around the country in manuscript form terms about The ways of Sion do mourn: gave rise to some markedly different versions ‘The use the author has made of chromatic of his more popular pieces. Keri Dexter has intervals at the word mourn, is not only happy discerned at least three regional versions and masterly, but new, even now, at more of the chorus of The ways of Sion do mourn, than a hundred years distance from the time suggesting that the original circulating exemplar when the anthem was produced! The whole may have been a short score without alto and composition seems to be admirable; and tenor parts. Many other such problems exist for besides the intelligence and merit of the design, the modern editor of Wise’s music, not least the melody is truly plaintive, and capable of the the problem of the fragmentary organ parts. most touching and elegant expression of the With only sparse appearance of figured bass greatest singers of modern times; the harmony in the sources, the editor is often presented too and modulation are such as correspond with difficult choices for harmony in the verse with the sense of the words, and enforce sections, and those familiar with the modern their expression.’ In the nineteenth century edition of Wise’s Magnificat and Nunc dimittis Wise’s principal advocate was Vincent Novello, in E flat will notice a number of differences who published a small number of anthems, introduced for this recording. Another problem including Awake, put on thy strength O Sion; is presented by The Lord is my shepherd, since in the last century William Harris published an not all sources conclude with the Doxology. edition of the Wise/Aldrich hybrid Thy beauty, O There is no reason to doubt that the Gloria Israel in 1941, and more recently Christopher was composed by Wise, so it may be that Dearnley edited the Evening Canticles in E the duet’s popularity meant that non-liturgical flat and Michael Smith (who wrote a doctoral performances were sometimes given. dissertation on Wise) published a few more previously unknown anthems, including The The first printed editions of Wise’s music came Lord is my shepherd. with William Boyce’s great anthology Cathedral

The chief appeal of Wise’s church music was neatly summed up by E.H. Fellowes, who wrote in his 1941 study English Cathedral Music that his popular anthems are ‘unpretentious in scope and design, but … are distinguished by a strong feeling for melodic beauty and for structural form.’ His anthems, all of modest length, make good use of repeated refrains and echos, and contain many memorable turns of phrase. Amongst numerous examples one might highlight (selecting from the less well-known works) the delightful echos for two trebles in The Lord is my shepherd, the intensity of the repeated phrase ‘and are not satisfied in my flesh’ in Have pity upon me, O ye my friends (as well as the poignant ‘For I know that my redeemer liveth’), the lively response to the musical

instruments in the text of O praise God in his holiness, the powerful chorus and expressive declamation in How are the mighty fallen, and the charming lilt of ‘God is the Lord who hath showed us light’ in Open me the gates of righteousness. His services also stand out for their melodic appeal, which sets them well above those by many of his early Restoration contemporaries. Spink summarises his achievement as follows: ‘Viewed as a whole, Wise’s church music presents an attractive picture of new idioms cautiously absorbed into a fundamentally traditional musical language ...

Despite the modest scale and subdued effect of his work, his achievement was considerable, nevertheless, and deserves greater recognition.’ © 2008 Geoffrey Webber

Note on the performances This recording was made in Pembroke College Chapel, Cambridge, designed by Christopher Wren, and uses the chapel’s organ by N.P. Mander Ltd (1980), which incorporates the original cases and 5 stops of 8’ and 4’ pitch from the organ built for the Chapel by Charles Quarles in 1708. These early stops are used for most of the solo and accompanimental organ parts on the recording. Keri Dexter’s edition of The ways of Sion do mourn has been employed (The Restoration Anthem, Volume One, Church Music Society/OUP), but all other pieces by Wise are performed in editions specially prepared for this recording. Given the absence of autograph sources, Wise’s original intentions are often obscure, most obviously

Texts concerning the organ parts and the middle voice parts in the choruses. A light sprinkling of ornament signs in some sources suggests that ornamentation was sometimes added by singers and organists, and a modest amount of ornamentation has been added in these performances (slides, forefalls and backfalls, trills and free divisions). Isolated occurrences in the sources have been followed closely, as in the organ ritornelli of Thomas Tudway’s copy of How are the mighty fallen in the British Library, though these are unlikely to have originated with the composer. A much greater degree of ornamentation is generally found in the sources of the solo keyboard repertoire of the period. © 2008 Geoffrey Webber

1

Prepare ye the way of the Lord 3 How are the mighty fallen Prepare ye the way of the Lord, How are the mighty fallen.

Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Tell it not in Gath, lest the daughters of the Every valley shall be exalted Philistines rejoice, and every mountain shall be made low, Tell it not in Gath, lest the daughters of the and the crooked shall be made straight uncircumcised triumph. and the rough places shall be made plain.

From the blood of the slain, from the bow of And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed the mighty, and all flesh shall see it together. the bow of Jonathan turned not back, nor the And the voice said cry, What shall I cry? sword of Saul returned not empty.

All flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant is as a flower that is in the field. in their lives, The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, and in their death they were not divided. but the word of the Lord shall stand fast forever. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle.

O Zion, that bringest glad tidings, Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who get thee up into the mountains. clothed you in scarlet, O Jerusalem, that bringest glad tidings, who put on ornaments of gold upon lift up thy voice with strength your apparel. and say unto Judah, behold thy God. I am distressed for thee, O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thy high places.

Isaiah 40 vv. 3-9 Very pleasant hast thou been, O Jonathan, thy love to me, O Jonathan, was wonderful, passing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war are perished.

2 Samuel 1 vv. 19-20, 22-26

5 The Lord is my shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.

He shall feed me in a green pasture: and lead me forth by the waters of comfort.

Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

For thy loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever and ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen

Psalm 23 vv. 1-2, 4, 6

7

Te Deum (Service in D minor) We praise thee O God: we knowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the powers therein.

To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, Holy, holy, holy: Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee.

The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.

The noble army of martyrs praise thee.

The Holy Church throughout all the world doth knowledge thee; the Father of an infinite majesty: thine honourable, true and only Son; also the Holy Ghost the comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ: Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death; thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.

We therefore pray thee help thy servant: whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage: govern them and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee: and we worship thy name ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin: O Lord have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee, O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

8 Jubilate Deo (Service in D minor)

O be joyful in the Lord all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.

Be ye sure that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves, we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and speak good of his name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting: And his truth endureth from generation to generation.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Psalm 100

10 O praise God in his holiness

O praise God in his holiness: praise him in the firmament of his power.

Praise him in his noble acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Praise him in the sound of the trumpet: praise him upon the lute and harp.

Praise him in the cymbals and dances: praise him upon the strings and pipe.

Praise him upon the well-tun’d cymbals: praise him upon the loud cymbals.

Let everything that hath breath: praise the Lord.

Halleluia.

Psalm 150

11 Blessed is he that considereth the poor

and needy Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy: the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.

The Lord comfort him, when he lieth sick upon his bed: make thou all his bed in his sickness.

Lord be merciful unto me: heal my soul for I have sinned against thee.

All mine enemies whisper together against me, but be thou merciful unto me, O Lord: raise thou me up again and I shall reward them.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: world without end. Amen.

Psalm 41 vv. 1, 3, 4, 7, 10 12 Magnificat (Service in E flat)

My soul doth magnify the Lord: and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.

He hath shewed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel: as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Luke 1 vv. 46-55 13 Nunc dimittis (Service in E flat)

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Luke 2 vv. 29-32

14 The ways of Sion do mourn

The ways of Sion do mourn, because none come to her solemn feasts.

All her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

For these things I weep; mine eye runneth down with water, Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.

See, O see, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.

Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by?

Behold and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men, the Lord hath trodden under foot the virgin, the daughter of Judah.

For these things I weep; mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me.

Lamentations 1 vv. 4-5, 11-12, 15-16

15 Awake, put on thy strength, O Sion

Awake, put on thy strength, O Sion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, thou holy city.

Shake thyself from the dust.

Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Sion.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings of peace, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Sion, thy God reigneth!

Break forth into joy. Halleluiah.

Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem.

For the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem, the Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the sight of all nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Break forth into joy. Halleluiah.

Isaiah 52 vv. 1-2, 7-10

17 Have pity upon me, O ye my friends

Have pity upon me, O ye my friends.

For the hand of God hath touched me.

Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

O that my words were written, O that they were printed in a book.

O that they were graven with an iron pen, in lead or in stone forever.

For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand the last day on the earth.

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet shall I see God in my flesh.

Job 19 vv. 21-26

19 Open me the gates of righteousness

Open me the gates of righteousness: that I may go into them, and give thanks unto the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord: the righteous shall enter into it.

I will thank thee, for thou hast heard me: and art become my salvation.

The same stone which the builders refused: is become the headstone in the corner.

This is the Lord’s doing: and it is marvellous in our eyes.

This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Help me know, O Lord: O Lord, send us now prosperity.

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have wished you good luck, ye that are of the house of the Lord.

God is the Lord who hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, yea even unto the horns of the altar.

Thou art my God, and I will thank thee: thou art my God, and I will praise thee.

O give thanks unto the Lord for he is gracious: and his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 118 vv. 19-29

The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Caius College Choir is one of Britain’s leading leading British composers such as James collegiate choirs. Gonville and Caius College MacMillan. The Choir has also appeared was founded in 1348 but the musical tradition on television programmes on BBC1, BBC2, stems from the late nineteenth century, when Channel 4 and on several foreign networks. the well-known composer of church music Charles Wood became Organist. The choir in The Choir’s recordings have tended to specialise Wood’s day contained boy trebles; it is now a in the rediscovery of forgotten choral repertories, mixed undergraduate ensemble and is directed often including previously unpublished music

by Geoffrey Webber. from within the English choral tradition and beyond. A series of highly acclaimed releases The Choir sings Chapel services during the has included music by English composers University term and has a busy schedule Samuel Wesley, William Child, Edmund Rubbra, of additional activities including concerts, Patrick Hadley and Rebecca Clarke, and by recordings and broadcasts. It travels abroad continental composers Joseph Rheinberger, extensively, performing at a variety of venues Giacomo Puccini and Leonardo Leo and ranging from major concert halls to universities, Charles Gounod. The Choir has also recorded cathedrals and churches in Europe, America two reconstructions – the Latin Mass in E Flat and beyond, often in connection with other

by Janácek and the St Mark Passion by J. S. professional ensembles such as Opera Northern Bach – three programmes of Swiss choral music Ireland and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (in conjunction with the National Library of of San Francisco. The Choir also gives a number Zürich), two volumes of the complete anthems of concerts in the UK each year, appearing in of Charles Wood and a disc of music by John venues such as St John’s, Smith Square and at Sanders. A DVD of music by Francis Poulenc the Spitalfields Festival in London, and many featuring the Choirs of St John’s, Clare and other venues around the country.

Caius Colleges has been also been released, and other collaborations include a recording of Live radio broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and 4 music by John Rutter with the choir of King’s form a regular feature of the Choir’s schedule.

College, Cambridge and the City of Birmingham Broadcasts of Choral Evensong have been Symphony Orchestra. The Choir’s most recent notably adventurous in content and have releases include All the ends of the earth, More ranged from baroque anthems performed sweet to hear – organs and voices of Tudor with period instruments to Russian and Greek England and, with Delphian, a disc of the sacred Orthodox music, South African music, and music of William Turner (DCD34028). music composed especially for the Choir by http://www.cai.cam.ac.uk choir@cai.cam.ac.uk

Geoffrey Webber Geoffrey Webber began his musical education as a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral, and, after being Music Scholar at The King’s School, Worcester, he was elected to an Organ Scholarship at New College, Oxford, in 1977. Whilst at Oxford his academic tutors and organ teachers included Edward Higginbottom, John Caldwell, James Dalton, Nicholas Danby and Gillian Weir. After graduating with a first-class degree he remained in Oxford to pursue research into German church music of the seventeenth century, combining this with activities as an organist and conductor.

University Church in 1984. During this time he also became Director of the Edington Festival, a festival of music within the liturgy at Edington, Wiltshire.

Following the completion of his doctorate in 1989 Geoffrey was appointed Precentor and Director of Music at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, and he now also serves as an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music, dividing his time between conducting, organ playing, lecturing, teaching, editing and research projects. He is a committee member for the Royal College of Organists and the Church Music Society, and his publications include North German Church Music in the Age Geoffrey served as Acting Organist at both New College and Magdalen College, and was appointed of Buxtehude (OUP, 1996) and, as co-editor, the as Assisting Organist at Magdalen College in 1982 Cambridge Companion to the Organ (CUP, 1998) and University Organist and Director of Music at the and The Restoration Anthem (CMS/OUP, 2003/7).

Thomas Hewitt Jones

David Ballantyne

Thomas Hewitt Jones studied at the Royal College of Music Junior Department and at Dulwich College before becoming Organ Scholar at Caius College, and his organ teachers have included Martin Baker and Ann Elise Smoot (director of the St Giles Junior Organ Conservatoire). Thomas has played the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony with Sir Simon Rattle and the National Youth Orchestra at the BBC Proms, and he has given many recitals in the UK at venues including Gloucester, Winchester and Chester Cathedrals. Thomas is also a composer of contemporary classical music; he has studied composition with Paul Patterson, David McBride, Timothy Blinko and Avril Anderson, and his works have been heard in public concerts all over the country, as well as on BBC Radio and television. Thomas has worked with ensembles such as the Britten Sinfonia, Sounds Positive, and members of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and he is a former Senior Winner of the BBC Proms / Guardian Young Composer Competition.

David Ballantyne started his musical education on the Isle of Man, studying the organ at King William’s College, where he was the Janie Cannell Organ Scholar. As well as participating in various music courses in the UK and in France, David has taken part in masterclasses with numerous eminent organists, such as Peter Hurford, Catherine Ennis and David Goode. He has given several recitals in the UK, most recently at The Queen’s College Oxford.

Reading History at Caius, David currently studies the organ with David Sanger.

The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Sopranos Rachel Bagnall (5, 7, 8) Jenna Cooper (11, 17) Cerian Holland (7, 8) Nina Kanter (7) Clare Lloyd (1, 3, 10, 11, 14, 19) Tempe Nell (7, 8) Helen Roche (7) Emma Walshe (1, 5, 12, 13, 17, 19) Altos Cara Lewis Fiona Mackay (7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17) Lizzie Maughan Richard Northcott May Robertson (1, 7) Tenors Aidan Coburn (3, 7, 11, 15) Matthew Knight Charles Ogilvie Laurence Panter Andrew Taylor (7, 8, 12, 13)

Basses Thomas Faulkner (1, 10, 14, 19) John Kelly Hugh Miall (7, 15, 17) Timothy Scott (3, 7, 12, 13) Ed Willis (8, 12) (Solo items in parentheses) Wilfrid Holland Organ Scholar Thomas Hewitt Jones (tracks 1, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19) Junior Organ Scholar David Ballantyne (tracks 5, 10, 11, 17)

Choral music on Delphian William Turner: Sacred Choral Music The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Yorkshire Baroque Soloists (Peter Seymour, director) Geoffrey Webber, conductor (DCD34028)

O How Glorious is the Kingdom The Choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle Timothy Byram-Wigfield, conductor Roger Judd, organ (DCD34048)

It is easy to forget that our great English choral tradition was once silenced by Act of Parliament. The Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 subsequently ushered in one of the finest periods in English music, though the road to recovery for church music was a slow and difficult one. Turner, then a precocious nine year-old, went on to become one of the best known composers and singers of his day. This premiere recording presents a cross-section of Turner’s sacred music, ranging from small-scale liturgical works to one of his grandest creations, the Te Deum and Jubilate in D.

The Choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, offers a sumptuous programme of jewels from the anthem tradition whose repertoire spans five centuries. Under the luminous direction of Timothy Byram-Wigfield, and in the luxurious resonance of St George’s Chapel, the choir resounds with exhilarating energy, at once arresting and awe-inspiring.

‘The Queen’s own choir is in rude health’ – Gramophone, September 2007

‘… fine additions to the choral canon, vibrantly performed’ – Gramophone, October 2007 Tomás Luis de Victoria: Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation The Exon Singers Matthew Owens, conductor (DCD34025) The Spanish master of the golden age of polyphony, Tomás Luis de Victoria, left an astoundingly beautiful legacy of antiphonal sacred music devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Realised for the very first time here

by The Exon Singers is a Vespers for the Annunciation, bringing together these works of Marian devotion in a glorious and revelatory celebration.

‘Victoria with verve – vigorously recommended’ – International Record Review, November 2004

Song of Songs Laudibus Mike Brewer, conductor (DCD34042) The Song of Songs stands apart from its biblical surroundings as one of the supreme love poems of world literature, a celebration of erotic love in the form of a dialogue between a bridegroom and his bride, invoking all the senses, the fragrance of wine, blossom, fruits and spices. Ranging widely over five centuries, from the relative asperity of Dunstaple to the lush exoticism of Daniel-Lesur, this cherry-picked assortment of sweetmeats is given exultant life by Mike Brewer and Laudibus. ‘… inspired and impressive’ – The Scotsman, July 2007

DCD34041