Various Artists - Magnificat / Various - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis was recorded to explore the breadth of imagination with which composers have approached the texts, which have been sung in Christian worship for over 1000 years. Stanford's starting point was the Germanic symphonic tradition; Howells took his inspiration from the architecture and acoustics of the Cathedral in Gloucester; Tippett was inspired by the unique Spanish trumpet stop at St John's. The Evening Canticles chosen for this record relate to a particular period of music making in the life of St John's conductor, Andrew Nethsingha; his time at the Royal College of Music; at Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals, and lastly his time at St John's. Founded in the 1670s, The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world - known and loved by millions for it's rich, warm and distinctive sound, expressive interpretations and ability to sing in a variety of styles.

If you have been a choir or choir director at a Marien church for over 30 years, it is difficult for you as an evangelical Christian to evade the subject of Maria. Although the Protestants are assumed to have a rather cool relationship with the mother of Jesus, in such a church one literally stumbles across texts, representations and references to a piety from Mary - a piety that Mary does not necessarily make an advocate for God, but she is a role model for faith Especially when, after a strenuous day of rehearsals in a 12th century cathedral in medieval melodies of young voices, the old words from the New Testament sound InchMy soul exalts the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my SaviorInch, one thinks As a Lutheran - MAGNIFICAT! Magnificat settings therefore form the framework for the new, fourth album of the youth choir of the cathedral in Wurzen. Of course, one cannot deal with Maria musically without singing about her son Jesus, to tell the whole story, so to speak. So does the youth choir on this (Hairston - InchAmenInch). There is also the example speech of the wandering preacher such as InchI am a right vineInch (Schütz), which encourages clinging to God, the question of right prayer, which Jesus answers with the InchOur FatherInch (Wermann), the longing for God Closeness and presence in InchKyrie and GloriaInch by Rheinberger or in Mendelssohn's InchI lift my eyes to the mountainsInch. The Kingdom of God plays a central role in Jesus' sermon, which can already be felt here in this world and endures transience. Jesus himself lived in this hope of inseparable communion with God and the spirituals also sing about it in the images of their time.

Andrew Nethsingha and The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge the second volume in the highly-praised Magnificat series and present nine settings of the Evening Canticles by celebrated Organist-Composers, written between 1932 and 1952, and non-church musicians from 1974-1989. The recording culminates with a contemporay setting by Julian Anderson, composed for the Chapel's 150th anniversary. InchThese first volumes are designed to complement one another. Magnificat 1 started earlier, with Stanford in the 1880s; Volume Two brings us briefly up to the present day. The first contained celebrated works by Tippett and Leighton from 1961 and 1972 respectively, in between the two main periods represented on this disc. Both albums contain iconic works by Howells, written a year apart. We hear composers creating different orders of priority for the parameters of composition.Inch Andrew Nethsingha