Bliss / Connolly / Davis - Mary of Magdala - SUPER-AUDIO CD [Super Audio CD (SACD)]

Bliss / Birsan / Davis - Beatitudes [SUPER-AUDIO CD] Hybrid SACD date 02/02/2018

Ensemble Ylajali's new CD Mary's Song presents a selection of contemporary Norwegian a cappella settings of Marian texts. Mary is without a doubt the most influential female figure in sacred music, a fact that inspired the ensemble's decision to make a recording of music devoted to her. Mary has secured the place of women in an otherwise male-dominated part of history; recent research and political currents have revealed further sides of Mary as a historical figure, both in the arts and in academia, making her a fascinating figure for women today.

Sir Arthur Bliss contributed two staples of the brass band repertoire - Kenilworth and The Belmont Variations, whose enduring success inspired arrangers to turn to his other compositions, for example Eric Ball and Four Dances from the ballet Checkmate or Phillip Littlemore's suite from the film score for Things to Come. Three new arrangements have been made especially for this album Robert Childs' suite from the ballet Adam Zero, and Michael Halstenson's arrangements of Music from the Royal Palaces and Welcome the Queen. Collectively this programme reflects the essence of Bliss's compositional style the inherent drama of his scores for film, ballet, and television and his flair for the ceremonial, especially in the context of his position as Master of the Queen's Music. Black Dyke Band, tracing it's continuous history back to 1855, is the most recorded band in the world, having produced a discography of more than 350 recordings to date. It is also the most successful contesting band in the world, having won the European Championships thirteen times, the British Open thirty times and the National Championships of Great Britain twenty-four times. In 2023, they appointed conductor John Wilson as their Honorary President.