I post these playlists weekly with the hope that you might find them useful
as you plan your music lists. All of my playlists are on Spotify for you to
enjoy at your convenience.
GSM – April 16, 2017 https://goo.gl/7i8M1W
Don’t forget that we have more choral and organ music programmed
on Sunday evenings beginning at 10 p.m. eastern.
Rob Kennedy
WCPE The Classical Station
Web: TheClassicalStation.org
Facebook: www.facebook/theclassicalstation
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Joseph Noyon, arr. Gerre Hancock: Christus Vincit
Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys; The St. Thomas Brass
John Scott
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford: Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem, Op. 123
Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt
Paul Trepte, organ
William Byrd: Haec dies
Cambridge Singers, John Rutter
This festive Easter anthem by French composer Joseph Noyon (1888-1962) is the only piece in his extensive ouevre which survives in common usage. Stanford completed “Ye choirs of New Jerusalem” in 1910. The text comes from the Latin hymn written by Fulbert of Chartres (952-1028).
George Frideric Handel: Worthy is the Lamb … Amen ~ Messiah
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
Lynne Dawson, soprano; Hillary Summers, alto;
John Mark Ainsley, tenor; Alastair Miles, bass
Tudor era composer William Byrd published Haec Dies in the collection of 32 of his Latin works known as Cantiones Sacrae II in 1591. Handel wrote “Messiah” in 24 days in the summer of 1741. While most of the material is new, he did recycle arias and choruses from music which he had previously composed.
Giovanni Luigi da Palestrina: The Strife Is O’er
All Saints Church Choir, Beverly Hills, Bruce Neswick
J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D, BWV 532
Kevin Bowyer, organ
Marcussen organ of Sct. Hans Kirke, Odense, Denmark
The hymn tune which we now know as “Victory” was adapted by W.H. Monk from Palestrina’s Magnificat Tertii Toni. Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in D major” dates from his Weimar years, with 1710 often cited as the date of composition. This work expresses the virtuosity and youthful exuberance of the 25 year old Bach in a manner few of his other organ compositions do.
Herbert Howells: Morning Service “Collegium Regale”
Choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, John Scott
Christopher Dearnley, organ
English composer Herbert Howells wrote his Collegium Regale setting of the Morning canticles for King’s College, Cambridge in 1941. The Dean of York, Eric Milner-White, had been Dean of King’s from 1919-1941 and had challenged Howells with the suggestion “that he might be the man to revitalize English church music composition.” Howell’s grand setting of the Jubilate and Te Deum was the composer’s response to that challenge.
J.S. Bach: Cantata 31, “Der Himmel lacht, die Erde jubilieret”
Choir of St. Thomas Church; Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
Helga Termer, soprano; Eberhard Buchner, tenor;
Hermann Christian Polster, bass
The German translates as: “The heavens laugh, the earth rejoices.” This cantata was composed while Bach was at Weimar. First performed in 1714, the cantata was presented again in 1724 and 1731. In addition to three trumpets, tympani and three oboes, the score calls for the use of a taille, which is an alto oboe which Bach used to double the viola part.
Felix Mendelssohn: Te Deum a 8
Chamber Choir of Europe, Nicol Matt
Inspired by a Te Deum written by Handel, Mendelssohn composed his Te Deum for 8 voices when he was 21 years old.
Hector Berlioz: Te Deum, Op. 22
European Community Youth Orchestra; London Symphony Chorus; London Philharmonic Choir, Claudio Abbado
Francisco Araiza, tenor; Martin Haselbock, organ
Over 900 musicians gave the first performance of Hector Berlioz’ Te Deum at St. Eustache, Paris in 1855. He wrote it to honor Napoleon Bonaparte but ended up dedicating it to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort.
Cesar Franck: Final in B flat, Op. 21
Michael Murray, organ
Cavaillé-Coll organ at Saint Sernin Basilica, Toulouse
We organists have a couple of splendid pieces to play at the conclusion of Easter Day services. The Franck Final is one of them, albeit not as commonly heard as Charles-Marie Widor’s famous Toccata from his Symphonie 5 or the Vierne Carillon de Westminster. The Final was dedicated to Franck’s contemporary, the virtuoso organist Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély. I like to think that this explains the music’s bravura style.
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