Trinity College Cambridge / Stephen Layton - Great Choral Anthems Vol. 2 (31st Oct)

[Keraulophone]

Volume 2 of Great Choral Anthems Let all the world in every corner sing from The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Stephen Layton (conductor).

Released on 31st October, it is Dr Layton's final recording with the choir after seventeen years as its inspirational director. 'A selection of ten favourite anthems from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Featuring a line-up of composers from Basil Harwood and Charles Wood to Jonathan Dove and Matthew Martin, this is an album which anyone with an interest in Anglican church music should hear', according to the Hyperion website:

See https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68454 for full track listing.

Track one is available to sample on YT.
Evening Hymn - Balfour Gardiner: https://youtu.be/dC6p9o1X0i4?si=s-NkDgp2aS8uXfhz

(copied from the New Releases thread)

[Petrushka]

Thanks for highlighting this. I have very fond memories of singing 'O Thou the Central Orb' by Charles Wood in our local parish church choir in the late 1960s. I'll therefore be making sure that I get this disc.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Thanks for highlighting this. I have very fond memories of singing 'O Thou the Central Orb' by Charles Wood in our local parish church choir in the late 1960s........

Same here! (Described by the choirmaster as "Victorian Slush" to which the reply was "but we love it!!).
The Balfour Gardiner is another favourite - but from the Willcocks/Kings recording, which to my ears is a perfect rendition.

[Petrushka]

Same here! (Described by the choirmaster as "Victorian Slush" to which the reply was "but we love it!!).
The Balfour Gardiner is another favourite - but from the Willcocks/Kings recording, which to my ears is a perfect rendition.

All of the boys loved it which was something! I remember that one of the altos chose the Wood anthem where we sang at his daughter's wedding in 1968. Both of them died long ago but hearing it always brings back the memory of that occasion.

[mopsus]

Same here! (Described by the choirmaster as "Victorian Slush" to which the reply was "but we love it!!).
The Balfour Gardiner is another favourite - but from the Willcocks/Kings recording, which to my ears is a perfect rendition.

It's not 'Victorian Slush' as it was published in 1915 and presumably written shortly before.
Last time I sang it we had a long discussion about whether the word in the penultimate line was 'day' or 'clay'. I favoured 'day', as 'transforming clay to souls' makes little sense. Perhaps it alludes to the miracle where Jesus put clay on a blind man's eyes, but there is no other reference to that story in the poem.

Additional note: Ben Byram-Wigfield in his Ancient Groove edition preface appears to agree with me, saying that Bramley's original words (to fit music by Gibbons) have 'day'.

[Petrushka]

It's not 'Victorian Slush' as it was published in 1915 and presumably written shortly before.
Last time I sang it we had a long discussion about whether the word in the penultimate line was 'day' or 'clay'. I favoured 'day', as 'transforming clay to souls' makes little sense. Perhaps it alludes to the miracle where Jesus put clay on a blind man's eyes, but there is no other reference to that story in the poem.

Additional note: Ben Byram-Wigfield in his Ancient Groove edition preface appears to agree with me, saying that Bramley's original words (to fit music by Gibbons) have 'day'.

I think we sang 'day' but there is a sense in which 'clay' may be correct and Wilfred Owen uses it in his poem 'Futility' (...was it for this that the clay grew tall?). The reference is to Man's coming from the earth. I believe that the same meaning is used in the Wood anthem in which case it makes perfect sense.

I see, however, the Gibbons example has 'ray' not 'day' (or 'clay').

[mopsus]

'Ray' is an emendation/alternative suggestion according to Ben B-W. Even assuming 'clay' means the mortal body doesn't make sense - it would mean that the body is transformed to the soul, which doesn't fit any standard Christian theology. (This was the point I made to my colleagues in the church choir who wanted 'clay'.) And who or what would be doing the transforming? Grammatically, it should be 'our nature' which also makes no sense. But the poem is pretty woolly generally. Is what is being addressed God, the Holy Spirit or something else?

If King Charles is declared cancer-free by his doctors, there might be an opportunity to restore Gibbons' original words to his anthem!

[jonfan]

BTW. What’s Stephen L doing now?

[Finzi4ever]

Where are the accompanied anthems recorded? Recent such outings were done at Lincoln or Hereford for the full glory of acoustic and the Father Willis

[Keraulophone]

Where are the accompanied anthems recorded? Recent such outings were done at Lincoln or Hereford for the full glory of acoustic and the Father Willis

Ely cathedral. Harrison Cole is the brilliant organ scholar, as he demonstrated to perfection at Ste-Eustache, Paris in Trinity's Duruflé Requiem recording.

[Finzi4ever]

Ely cathedral. Harrison Cole is the brilliant organ scholar, as he demonstrated to perfection at Ste-Eustache, Paris in Trinity's Duruflé Requiem recording.

Couldn't agree more! That recording is now my preferred one by far.

[jonfan]

https://youtu.be/l17pY00yIMQ?si=5OwiHxlzx8QWxYXp

A video of another track above. It’s January 2023 and they all look very cold. Ely Cathedral can be like the arctic but indoors!

[Keraulophone]

https://youtu.be/l17pY00yIMQ?si=5OwiHxlzx8QWxYXp

A video of another track above. It’s January 2023 and they all look very cold. Ely Cathedral can be like the arctic but indoors!

Thanks jonfan. They're wearing several layers! Good to see the then Junior Organ Scholar Jonathan Lee accompanying.

I doubt that this choir will ever sound better than on these two final recordings of anthems under SDL, plus that extraordinary Duruflé from Paris, of course. They sound gorgeous at every dynamic, and Dr Layton manages to achieve perfect balance between the parts. There is a huge difference between what we hear here and how this 'high-water mark of Wood’s Romantic church music' (Jeremy Dibble) is routinely sung in church or chapel.

[jonfan]

Absolutely K, the pinnacle of SL’s achievement at Trinity. The wonder of the choir is the unity, as though it’s a solo voice and not the sum of many. The legacy of the Hyperion recordings and YouTube services are there to enjoy.
I recommend checking out the present choir under Steven Grahl. The high standard continues with the emphasis more on themed composer and period evensongs.
PS. It seems prospective DOMs must have a variant of Steph/ven to stand a chance!

[Finzi4ever]

Absolutely K, the pinnacle of SL’s achievement at Trinity. The wonder of the choir is the unity, as though it’s a solo voice and not the sum of many. The legacy of the Hyperion recordings and YouTube services are there to enjoy.
I recommend checking out the present choir under Steven Grahl. The high standard continues with the emphasis more on themed composer and period evensongs.
PS. It seems prospective DOMs must have a variant of Steph/ven to stand a chance!

I wholly echo this, having been lucky to enough to hear them; though different the 24-25 choir was excellent and early signs are good for this year too - I'm pleased to see at least one new countertenor in the mix!