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Track(s) taken from CDA67867

Give me justice

composer
2003; SATB
author of text
Psalm 42 (43); Introit on the fifth Sunday of Lent

Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens (conductor)
Recording details: June 2010
Wells Cathedral, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: June 2011
Total duration: 3 minutes 20 seconds

Cover artwork: Angel. William Morris (1834-1896)
Courtesy of Peter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries, London
 

Reviews

‘Wells Cathedral Choir gives a compelling survey of choral pieces by one of Britain's most important composers … MacMillan's musical voice remains breathtakingly distinctive and true. This disc is a worthy recorded tribute to a truly significant figure in contemporary music. Highly recommended’ (Choir & Organ)

‘The Wells singing is of a consistently high standard (MacMillan's trademark use of melisma is particularly well assimilated) and organist Jonathan Vaughn delivers a scintillating account of Le tombeau de Georges Rouault, the magnificent solo piece which ends this absorbing programme’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Here is another splendid release of recent British choral music from the choir of Wells Cathedral and its superb director Matthew Owens … the choir is, in a word, magnificent. Singing with impressive self-assurance and clearly revelling in MacMillan's uncanny ability to make everything sound perfectly natural even when the technical skills involved are extraordinarily demanding’ (International Record Review)
Give me justice is a straightforward setting of words from Psalm 42 (Hebrew) or 43 (Greek) written to be used as an introit for the fifth Sunday of Lent. It is scored for unaccompanied choir and is structured round a refrain (with which the setting begins) and a pair of verses set as free chant. The refrain is built over a bass pedal point on a C, which contrasts with the essential freedom of the chant. This is another example of MacMillan’s ability to write extremely straightforward music that still bears all the hallmarks of his style with which we have become familiar.

from notes by Paul Spicer © 2011

Give me justice met en musique de façon simple et directe le texte du Psaume 42 (Hébreux) ou 43 (Grec) écrit pour servir d’introït au cinquième dimanche de carême. Il est écrit pour chœur sans accompagnement et structuré autour d’un refrain (par lequel commence la musique) et de deux versets en mélopée libre. Le refrain est construit sur une pédale harmonique de basse (un do), qui contraste avec la liberté essentielle de la mélopée. C’est un autre exemple de la capacité de MacMillan à écrire une musique très simple dotée néanmoins de toutes les caractéristiques de son style, qui nous sont devenues familières.

extrait des notes rédigées par Paul Spicer © 2011
Français: Marie-Stella Pâris

Give me justice ist eine schlichte Vertonung von Texten aus Psalm 42 (hebräisch) bzw. 43 (griechisch), die zum Gebrauch als Introitus am fünften Sonntag der Fastenzeit entstand. Sie ist für Chor a cappella geschrieben und gliedert sich in einen Refrain (mit dem das Stück auch beginnt) und zwei Strophen, die als freie Psalmodie umgesetzt sind. Der Refrain entfaltet sich über einem Orgelpunkt auf C, welcher im Kontrast zum grundsätzlich ungebundenen Gesang der Strophen steht. Dies ist ein weiteres Beispiel für MacMillans Fähigkeit, völlig unkomplizierte Musik zu schreiben, die dennoch alle Kennzeichen seines Stils aufweist, die uns mittlerweile vertraut sind.

aus dem Begleittext von Paul Spicer © 2011
Deutsch: Arne Muus

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