Max Bruch’s hymn, a greeting on Christmas Night, the saviour is here. It is a soupy, romantic setting of a rather syrupy poem by Robert Prutz, for alto, chorus and orchestra. It sings of bells, and shepherds and stars, of gold and myrrh, and love. It is utterly irresistible. Here’s the last verse (my rough translation).
‘Holy night, aloft a fiery light of a thousand candles, the star of life bringing light into our hearts. Behold, in heaven and on earth, love shines out like a rose. Peace has returned. The king of love is here.’
The Choir and Orchestra of West German Radio, Cologne, is conducted by Helmut Froschauer.
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A hymn sung at the beginning of Mass in the Russian Orthodox Church, as the priests enter. It was composed at the end of the 18th century by Dmitry Bortnayansky (1751 - 1825). I don’t think any other kind of choral singing has the same quality of mystical rapture as this. Just as you think it’s all over, great Allelluias sing out fortissimo.
The choir is the USSR Russian Choir conducted by Alexander Yurlov. It is from a vinyl LP, which accounts for some slight crackling here and there.
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Those of you who are English and of a certain age will understand me instinctively when I mention ‘Singing Together’. It was a regular BBC broadcast for schools during the 1950s. Those of us brought up on it can, at the drop of a hat, sing word perfect such classic English folksongs as ‘The British Grenadiers’, ‘The Keel Row’, The Keeper Did A’Hunting Go’, ‘Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron’ and this one - ’Golden Slumbers’ - sung to us at Infant School in the early afternoon as we were got tucked up for our afternoon sleep - and the teachers’ tea break.
Here it is sung by the Cambridge Singers conducted by John Rutter.
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Posted in Religious, Choral on Jul 26th, 2008 No Comments »
Brought up a Catholic before the Second Vatican Council means that all my early experiences of worship are of the traditional Latin Mass - and almost ten years as an altar boy meant I officiated at one or more every week. But it must be forty years since I last went to one. The Latin Mass was replaced in the 1970s by the mass in the vernacular. Occasionally I attended versions of the mass on Sunday where some latin was allowed, mainly in the singing, but it was a weak and insipid thing compared with the original.
It’s heartening to see the blanket ban on the traditional Latin Mass being lifted by the present Pope, but I’m not sure if the art can have survived forty years of silence. Let’s hope so. And if they want altar boys over sixty, who remember it last time round, I’m available.
Here’s a moment of nostalgia to touch all Catholics of a certain age. It’s the Kyrie, sung by choir and congregation, at a late celebration of the Latin Mass on All Saints Day 1975, at Downham Market, England by Fr Oswald Baker.
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Organs weren’t introduced into most English churches until the middle of the nineteenth century. When they were they had a profound effect on church music. Before, church singing was simpler, rougher, and more homely. After, it became smoother and more solemn. The earlier style is now referred to as West Gallery music - on account of the choirs and musicians stationing themselves in the West Gallery. Choirs were accompanied by local bands - of violins, cellos, flutes, cornets and other assorted wind instruments, including the strange Serpent. These bands doubled for secular dances at local inns and halls -see the early dance scene in the BBC’s 1995 version of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ which recreates such a band. In Thomas Hardy’s “Under the Greenwood Tree” too there is a memorable evocation of a West Gallery band and choir.
Over the last twenty years or so there has been something of a revival in West Gallery music - and a joy it is to hear. From recordings I have heard I suspect that modern recreations smooth out the roughness and off pitch intonation of the originals. Here, however, is ‘Come Let Us All’ . It is sung at Christmas time. I don’t know where I got this from, but it captures perfectly the original rustic, homely quality of the music, sung in a regional (Dorset?) accent, with delightful added aitches to make ‘hangels’ - a touching attempt to poshen up their style.
Afterthought: Listening to it again I realise that in among the strings and woodwind there is an organ, sounding the death knell of the band - and making the singing more poignant.
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Posted in Classical, Choral on Jul 1st, 2008 No Comments »
Liszt’s religious choral music isn’t as well known as it ought to be. The first choral piece of his I heard was “Via Crucis” – The Stations of the Cross – a deeply felt and impressive work.
Here’s a short piece for soprano, choir and orchestra. The soprano soloist is Livia Budai, with the Hungarian R&T Chorus, and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Janos Ferencsik. I have transferred it from a 30 year old vinyl LP. It’s sung in Latin. Here’s a freeish translation.
With the sound of the organ, Cecilia sang to the Lord: “Let my heart be innocent, so that I suffer no humiliation”. It is a most haunting piece.
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