Sacred. Music for the Christian Faith
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The Gift of Music CDG1177
2007
[64:00]
1. Puer natus [5:19]
The Monks and Novices of St Frideswide
2. Prijon Forte [4:06] Song to the Virgin
CSM 106
Y
Safar with Sara Stowe
3. Bogoroditse Devo [1:15] Rejoice, O Virgin |
Victor Kalinnikov
Singscape conducted by Sarah Tenant-Flowers
4. Gloria laus [3:20]
Magdala & The Oxford Girls' Choir (R. Vendome), directed by David Skinner
5. Kyrie Orbis factor [2:04]
Magdala & The Oxford Girls' Choir (R. Vendome), directed by David Skinner
6. Ave Maria mater Dei [3:15]
William Cornysh
Magdala directed by David Skinner
7. Stabat mater [8:21]
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Magdala directed by David Skinner
8. Como poden per sas culpas [5:54] Song to the Virgin
CSM 166
Y
Safar with Sara Stowe
9. Jesus Christ is risen today [2:12]
The Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge directed by David Skinner
Jamal Sutton, organ
10. Nobilis, humilis [3:26]
Magdala & The Oxford Girls' Choir (R. Vendome), directed by David Skinner
Richard Vendome, psaltery
11. Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child [2:17]
The Oxford Girls' Choir directed by Richard Vendome
Richard Vendome, psaltery
12. Magnificat [2:24]
Thomas Tomkins
English Renaissance directed by Michael Stoddart
13. Come holy Spirit, Lord God [7:48]
Johann Sebastian Bach
Fantasia super Komm heiliger Geist, BWV 651 (18 "Leipziger Chorale" BWV 651-668)
Martin Souter, organ
14. Nunc dimittis [4:41]
Josquin des Prez
Magdala directed by David Skinner
15. Gloria De angelis [2:38]
Magdala directed by David Skinner
16. Sanctus [2:33]
Henry V
Magdala directed by David Skinner
CCL CDG1177
This compilation ℗: & © 2007 Classical Communications Ltd
Recorded in the churches and chapels of the city of Oxford
Cover image: Christ in Majesty Louvain region 1148 Add. 14788 f.6v,
Parc Abbey Bible, The British Library
[imagen invertida, reflejo especular]
Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Saint Paul, Letter to the Colossians
Sacred: Music for the Christian Faith
A
call to prayer in the form of bells introduces one of the most
well-known hymns of the church: For unto us a boy is born. Here we have
the plainchant original sung in Latin. Plainchant is music consisting of
a single melodic line. It was composed for use in the liturgy of the
early church, and its musical shapes and contours influenced most
subsequent forms and styles of music in the West. For unto us a boy is
born (Puer natus) became a fixture of Christmas music making. Christmas
and Easter (represented by the hymn Jesus Christ is risen today, a
nineteenth century adaptation of an ancient text and melody) are the
most important festivals in the calendar of the Christian church, since
they celebrate the single most important element of doctrine which
distinguishes Christianity from other religions, namely the birth and
death of Jesus, the Son of God. The remainder of this album presents
other facets of the religious life and belief of the Christian, and, in
particular, the liturgy - the prayers and worship of God - which form an
essential part of that life and belief. Central to that belief is the
celebration of the Eucharist, in which the crucifixion of Christ is
symbolically re-enacted. 'Kyrie', 'Gloria' and 'Sanctus' are key
elements of that service. The programme also celebrates the Christian
belief in the Trinity - God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, by
reference to all three elements of the Deity. An important Christian
theme in the Roman Catholic church is Mary, the Mother of God, and
several works pay homage to her, including the Magnificat, the Hymn of
Mary which plays such an important part in the liturgy. In Western
traditions, the 'Magnificat' is often associated with the 'Nunc
dimittis', the Song of Simeon. Both texts were prescribed by early
medieval times for the evening services read or sung in churches and
monasteries throughout Christendom. In England after the Reformation of
Henry VIII, they appear, separated by bible readings, in the single
service of Evening Prayer or Evensong. The Church of England became a
Protestant church, and the upheavals this represented were repeated
across Europe, though for different reasons. The Lutheran branch of the
Protestant church is represented here in the music of Johann Sebastian
Bach, possibly the greatest composer of Christian music ever to live.
His magnificent invocation of the Holy Spirit is played on the organ, a
sound which has been associated for centuries with the church. Another
iconic composer is to be found in Palestrina. His music, from the
sixteenth century, was considered to represent all that was good about
the liturgy and the faith of the reformed Catholic church of his time.
Christianity
is not, of course, confined to Western Europe, and we've represented
the wider church with three works. Prijon forte has its origins in the
music of North Africa. It is a song to the Virgin: 'Not even a strong
prison can hold us captive against the glory of the Virgin. For the
prisoner was miraculously released by her will and the guard then held
wide open the door.' Como poden per sas culpas is from a similar root
and carries a similar message: 'People may through the Virgin be
forgiven their sins. The paralysed man was cured through her grace and
lived to praise her.' Bogoroditse Devo comes from the Orthodox
tradition, which to many represents the Eastern Church. This Russian
piece is another Hymn to the Virgin.
The programme ends with a
work composed by Henry V of England: a pious and religious man of
learning, threads common to many powerful men in centuries past. The
piece also serves as an example of the close ties between state and
church which added such strength to Christianity over two millennia.