London Choral Sinfonia - Music of Richard Pantcheff Vol 3 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

A stunning album of world-premiere recordings showcasing the choral music of British composer Richard Pantcheff, in mesmerising performances by the London Choral Sinfonia directed by Michael Waldron, with pianist Matthew Fletcher and organist Jeremy Cole. The music of Richard Pantcheff, who was mentored by Britten in the last year of that composer's life, has a broad appeal, encompassing the intensity of his Four Poems of Stephen Crane, the intimacy of Turn again unto thy rest, the breadth of his St. Paul's Service, and the melodic brilliance of Spirit of Mercy and Veni Sancte Spiritus. Alongside many of his sacred works we hear the secular King Henry VIII's Apologia, a work of electrifying virtuosity. As conductor Michael Waldron puts it, Pantcheff's music is steeped in the choral tradition but never slips into pastiche InchI find it original, inspired and at all times profound. There is music on the album to suit all tastes, and I hope people hearing Richard's music for the first time will develop the same love for it as I have.Inch

Green Shadows presents a portrait of British composer Richard Pantcheff, performed by the London Choral Sinfonia under Michael Waldron, joined by acclaimed violinist Jack Liebeck, narrator Alexander Armstrong, and a distinguished cast of soloists. Inspired by the musical and literary world of Ralph Vaughan Williams while remaining unmistakably individual in voice, Pantcheff's music combines rich lyricism, pastoral colour and emotional depth with a thoroughly contemporary perspective. The program ranges from the reflective title work Green Shadows Fall and the intimate A Prayer for the King's Majesty to the virtuosic Fantasia on Yorkshire Folk Tunes and the elegant Spring Suite for violin and string orchestra, both featuring Jack Liebeck, alongside the radiant Service of Holy Communion, chamber works for oboe, and the evocative narrated concert piece On Hearing the Oxford Bells at Eventide. Following three acclaimed recordings devoted to Pantcheff's music, Green Shadows offers a fresh perspective on one of Britain's most distinctive contemporary composers, performed by the ensemble hailed by Gramophone Magazine as Inchfast becoming the go-to champions for contemporary British choral music.Inch

Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths; Sir Stephen Hough combines a worldwide career as a pianist with those of composer and writer. InchMy father said that I had memorised seventy nursery rhymes by the age of two. This sounds suspiciously like parental exaggeration to me; but I do know that such singing was my first form of musical expression; especially as we had no classical music in my childhood home. Then; by the age of six; the piano took over... but song remained in the background. InchMy first twenty years were filled with composing. Then followed almost twenty years of blank paper; writing virtually nothing except concert transcriptions for me to use as encores. Until; in my early 40s; I returned to composition with a passion...Inch This celebrates Hough's compositional output in works for choir and organ performed by the London Choral Sinfonia; with organist James Orford and conductor Michael Waldron.