KEY RELEASES | May 2016

Key Releases | 1 2016 Naxos Rights US, Inc.

Its simple purposewas to open up a group of my psalm settings

to concert audiences rather than just church congregations

John Rutter

RUTTERPSALMFEST

KEY RELEASES | May 2016

Key Releases | 2 2016 Naxos Rights US, Inc.

John RUTTER (b. 1945) Psalmfest*1This is the day2Lord, Thou hast been our refuge3 Psalm 1504Elizabeth Cragg, Soprano1 Pascal Charbonneau, Tenor1Mike Allen, Trumpet3 Tom Winpenny, Organ3, 4St Albans Cathedral Choir and Abbey Girls Choir1, 2Royal Philharmonic Orchestra1, 2, 4Andrew Lucas

*WORLD PREMIRE RECORDING

The psalms of David have been a source ofinspiration to composers for centuries, each textforming a poetic shape the equivalent of a gothicarch, and expressing a broad range of timelessemotions. Recorded here for the first time inits complete form, John Rutters Psalmfest is acollection of nine settings for full orchestra as richand varied as the original texts. The remainingpsalm settings were written for special occasions,including the wedding of the Duke and Duchess ofCambridge in 2011.

8.5733943.89

Playing Time71:43

7 47313 33947 1

IncludesWorld Premire

Recording

Listen to an excerpt from Rutters Psalmfest

1 O be joyful in the Lord (Psalm 100)2 I will lift up mine eyes (Psalm 121)3 Praise the Lord, O my soul (Psalm 146)4 The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23)5 Cantate Domino

(Psalm 96/Veni Creator Spiritus)6 The Lord is my light and my salvation

(Psalm 27)

7 O clap your hands (Psalm 47)8 O how amiable are thy dwellings (Psalm 84)9 O praise the Lord of heaven (Psalm 148)

0 This is the day (2011) (Psalms 118, 148, 91, 121 & 27)

! Lord, Thou hast been our refuge (2008) (Psalm 90)@ Psalm 150 (2002) (Psalm 150)

Key Features We have had numerous successes with the work of John Rutter, including his Gloria (8.572653), of which

Gramophone wrote, Andrew Lucass St Albans choristersare on sparkling form, with first-class support fromorganist Tom Winpenny More recordings from St Albans, please.

Gramophone acknowledges Rutter as the man who has become the most popular British composer of choralmusic in recent years.

Topped by a first class line-up of award-winning soloists and reinforced by the excellent Royal PhilharmonicOrchestra, this release will be one of the main jewels in our choral and general catalogue for 2016.

Psalmfest (1993)

http://www.naxos.com/person/Tom_Winpenny/120386.htmhttp://www.naxos.com/person/Royal_Philharmonic_Orchestra/46373.htmhttp://www.naxos.com/person/Royal_Philharmonic_Orchestra/46373.htm

KEY RELEASES | May 2016

Key Releases | 3 2016 Naxos Rights US, Inc.

About Andrew LucasAndrew Lucas has been Master of the Music at St Albans Cathedral and Music Director of St Albans Bach Choir since 1998. He has made many recordings as an organist and conductor, and has played concerts throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. This is his fourth recording for Naxos, the first as organ soloist (8.550955) and the others conducting music by Rutter (8.572653) and Mozart (8.573092).

Following the success of our recording in 2010 of John Rutters Gloria, Magnificat and Te Deum (8.572653) I felt it would be good to make another recording of Rutters music and we eventually saw an opportunity to make the first complete recording of his Psalmfest. Most of the 9 movements of this substantial work had been published and subsequently recorded individually but not all had been recorded with the benefit of the full orchestration.

An added impetus to make this recording came from a legacy to St Albans Cathedral from the late Dr John Birch, who was himself a highly regarded organist, choir trainer and teacher, having been organist and Master of the Choristers at both Chichester Cathedral (where he commissioned and performed

much new choral music) and the Temple Church in London. Birch was also organist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a professor at the Royal College of Music. As a former student of Johns at the RCM, he had remained a good friend and supporter of mine, so when I moved to St Albans I persuaded him to become a trustee of the Cathedrals music trust, hence the eventual receipt of a legacy after his death in 2012. Birch had also performed as an organist harpsichordist on several of John Rutters recordings, with whom he also formed a strong professional link.

His very generous legacy gave us the financial resources to employ forces appropriate to the music for this recording and also happily links several strands from Birchs life: the choirs of St Albans Cathedral, of which he was a great advocate, the RPO, Rutter and, of course, myself. It was also wonderful for us to be able to engage Elizabeth Cragg again as our soprano soloist and Pascal Charbonneau (tenor).

As with our previous recording, we greatly enjoyed the vibrant energy and sheer beauty of Rutters writing, especially relishing the rich orchestral scoring. Happily we were also able to incorporate three more recent and shorter works using texts from the bibles Book of Psalms.

Andrew Lucas

http://www.naxos.com/person/Andrew_Lucas/463.htm

KEY RELEASES | May 2016

Key Releases | 4 2016 Naxos Rights US, Inc.

8.572653Andrew Lucass St Albans choristers are on sparkling form, with first-class support from organist Tom Winpenny and the Ensemble DeChorum who scrupulously adhere to every one of the scores markings. Gramophone

8.557922Everything is brilliantly performed and caught in plush, colorful sound. American Record Guide

8.557130A lovely and worthwhile recording it is, in every respect. [The choir] parform here with their usual depth, sensitivity, technical finesse, and bright, clear sound. American Record Guide

More John Rutter masterpieces on Naxos

About the St Albans Cathedral ChoirSt Albans Cathedral Choir was re-founded in 1877 when the Abbey church became a Cathedral. Unlike many English Cathedral choirs, there is no choir school; the boys rehearse before and after going to the normal schools in the area and sing a service of Choral Evensong on three weekdays and three services with the Lay Clerks (men) each weekend. The Lay Clerks are a dedicated group of musicians who, in the main, earn their living outside the music profession. Under Lucass direction they have made nine international concert tours, broadcasts on radio and television and has made five recordings.

S

imon

Tot

tman

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557922http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.572653http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557130http://www.naxos.com/person/St__Albans_Cathedral_Choirs/132232.htm

Bookmark 1