Fans of this series, and anyone who enjoys English church anthems–more specifically, cathedral anthems–will be pleased to see the arrival of this Volume 8, and will be equally happy to hear this collection of 16 works for choir and organ by such masters of the genre as S.S. Wesley (Praise the Lord, my soul), John Goss (O pray for the peace of Jerusalem), John Stainer (They that wait upon the Lord), Charles Stanford (Ye choirs of new Jerusalem), and Hubert Parry (Lord, let me know mine end). But there also are less-famous names such as Stanley Vann, Percy Whitlock, and Hubert Middleton, all of whom served at various British cathedrals during the 20th century and who contribute suitably grand, tuneful, and solidly traditional works. On the other hand, a certain “modern” sensibility infuses Christopher Dearnley’s Jubilate Deo, St. Paul’s director of music John Scott’s Behold, O god our defender, and 25-year-old Dobrinka Tabarova’s exquisitely atmospheric Praise, which perfectly exploits the big, resonant cathedral space. John Rutter’s A crown of glory, commissioned for a performance at St. Paul’s in March, 2004 (and which I don’t recall seeing on any previous recording), closes the program in spacious, all-stops-out style.
The same lively acoustic that lends important atmosphere to works such as the above-mentioned Tabarova piece and sends the final chord of Dearnley’s Jubilate Deo shooting through the air, exploding like sonic fireworks also tends to obscure some of the more delicate contrapuntal textures as in John Sheppard’s Libera nos I. But if you enjoy the unique sounds and echoes and reverberations that inevitably color the sound of cathedral choral music–and isn’t that what this kind of recording is all about?–then you’ll be right at home with Hyperion’s sonic perspective, as clear and balanced as can be expected in this setting. And speaking of being “at home”–this choir has no superior in this repertoire, their performances marked by confident, enthusiastic ensemble work, fine solo singing, and first-rate organ accompaniments by Huw Williams. Also appreciated–and typical of most Hyperion projects–are the detailed and informative notes on each composer and composition.
