Britten: Sacred & Profane & other choral works

CDA67140

Recording details: April 2000
Temple Church, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Antony Howell & Julian Millard
Release date: March 2001
DISCID: 860E641C
Total duration: 58 minutes 56 seconds

GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER
GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE
DIAPASON D'OR
DIAPASON D'OR DE L'ANNÉE

'Musically impeccable, carefully wound and tuned, superbly balanced – a magnificent display of sheer beauty of choral sound' (American Record Guide)

'After hearing their latest CD of choral works by Britten, nothing will dissuade me from the conclusion that Polyphony under Stephen Layton is the best chamber choir in the country' (The Evening Standard)

'The programme is delightful and the choir excellent … This has to be one of the strongest winners of the choral award in recent years' (Gramophone)

'Polyphony's brand of singing, clean as a whistle, rhythmically wonderfully alive, impeccably tuned and voiced, polished yet always fervent, is justly renowned, and on this disc it serves Britten's a capella choral music extremely well' (BBC Music Magazine)

'Polyphony's exceptional energy, technical prowess and expressive flexibility make the most of every word and mood throughout this hour-long programme. This engrossing anthology of words and music comes highly recommended' (The Age, Melbourne)

'A valued possession … highly recommended' (Cathedral Music)

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Sacred & Profane & other choral works

Polyphony, Stephen Layton (conductor)

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		Five Flower Songs Op 47
1		No 1: To Daffodils [1'51]
2		No 2: The succession of the four sweet months [2'09]
3		No 3: Marsh Flowers [2'05]
4		No 4: The Evening Primrose [2'43]
5		No 5: Ballad of Green Broom [2'08]
		AMDG
6		Movement 1: Prayer I [2'19]
7		Movement 2: Rosa Mystica [3'39]
8		Movement 3: God's Grandeur [2'59]
9		Movement 4: Prayer II [3'01]
10		Movement 5: O Deus, ego amo te [1'42]
11		Movement 6: The Soldier [2'09]
12		Movement 7: Heaven-Haven [1'24]
13		A Hymn to the Virgin Of one that is so fair and bright [3'12]
		Choral Dances from Gloriana Op 53
14		No 1: Time [1'22]
15		No 2: Concord [2'19]
16		No 3: Time and Concord [1'24]
17		No 4: Country Girls [1'01]
18		No 5: Rustics and Fishermen [0'51]
19		No 6: Final Dance of Homage [2'20]
20		Chorale after an Old French Carol [4'36]
		Sacred and Profane Op 91
21		Movement 1: St Godric's Hymn [1'29]
22		Movement 2: I mon waxe wod [0'31]
23		Movement 3: Lenten is come [2'02]
24		Movement 4: The long night [1'08]
25		Movement 5: Yif ic of luve can [2'42] Cecilia Osmond (soprano)
26		Movement 6: Carol [1'32]
27		Movement 7: Ye that pasen by [1'54]
28		Movement 8: A Death [2'24]

Much of Britten's choral music requires great vocal dexterity and suppleness. Polyphony continue to receive great critical acclaim for their performances so are the perfect group to record this repertoire.

Included on this disc is the last choral work for professionals which Britten was to complete—Sacred and Profane—a collection of 8 medieval lyrics for voices in five parts (SSATB). Also included is the Chorale after an Old French Carol whose text is by W H Auden (a close friend of Britten's). The Chorale's text was part of an unachieved Christmas Oratorio on which Britten and Auden intended to collaborate.

The seven settings of poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins entitled A.M.D.G. were never performed in the composer's lifetime and indeed had to wait until 1984 for its first performance.

Hyperion Records