Hail, Gladdening Light [CD]

Spanning the centuries from Tallis to Tavener, this collection is well-chosen and shows off the skills of the choir and its conductor. If you are a devotee of the "straight-tone" choir (as the Cambridge Singers always are), any of their CDs would be delight. However, this one (and a similar one, "Faire is the Heaven") is almost like a good back-rub: leaving you relaxed, invigorated, and wanting more. (Assuming English church music is on your short list of favorite genres.)

Of special note are the title cut, Rutter's own "Loving Shepherd", and the last, "Bring Us, O Lord" by Harris. They are exquisitely conducted and sung. You want the last 6-8 measures of "Loving Shepherd" to last forever.

Recorded in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral, the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter produced a duo of discs dedicated to Music of the English Church with this title, 'Hail, Gladdening Light', and its companion piece, 'Faire is the Heaven'. The title of this disc derives from modern hymn (Charles Wood, in the early twentieth century) set to a more ancient text - a good example of the pairing of the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the timely.

--Music--

This is all unaccompanied music, sung in a cathedral chapel acoustically suited for such music. There are six Latin motets, set by composers such as Taverner, Howells, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, Philips and Dering. Anthens and Introits include notables Tomkins and Purcell, and lesser-known composers such as Amner, Bairstow and Goss. Hymns span the range from old to modern, including a hymn by John Rutter himself. The disc ends with three prayer settings, including one by the underappreciated John Sheppard, and another from William Harris, whose hymn serves as the title to the companion disc. These anthems and hymns show a powerful range of music, yet show a consistent tone also that makes it rather distinctive of the music of the English church.

The group's power and grace is second to none, particularly when singing this kind of music in a place such as Ely Cathedral, arguably the most natural of settings possible.

--Liner Notes--

The notes for this recording include the titles and words of each anthem or hymn. The notes for each piece also includes brief biographical information of the composer, and unique information about each work, when particular composers are represented more than once. One thing conspicuously missing is any biographical information about John Rutter, or any descriptive information about the Cambridge Singers apart from the most basic of information (only two sentences!).

--John Rutter--

Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.

--The Cambridge Singers--

The Cambridge Singers are a mixed choir of voices, many of whom were members of choir of Rutter's college, Clare College, Cambridge. While they specialise in English and Latin liturgical pieces, they have a wide range of recordings that span from modern compositions (including a remarkable requiem by Rutter) to English folk songs of the Middle Ages. Many are former members of the choir of Clare College and other Cambridge collegiate choirs (hence the name, Cambridge Singers). In the quarter-century since the founding, the Cambridge Singers have produced an impressive body of recordings.

I can hardly ever seem to find any CD of English choral music anywhere that truly hits the spot, and the reason is clearly that this was one of my first. Nobody who loves English cathedral music or English choral singing in general should be without this disc. Aside from the approaching the highest possible standards of choral singing and being an exemplar of the traditional English choral sound (straight-tone sopranos, not straight-tone EVERYONE as another reviewer said, "floaty" tenors, etc.), most of the tracks on this recording are total gems.

Of particular note are the Howells and Vaughan Williams, several of the Renaissance pieces, probably the best rendition of Tavener's Hymn to the Mother of God out there, "A Litany" by Walton, and Harris' "Bring Me, O Lord God" is a stunningly gorgeous end to the CD.