Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Click cover art to view larger version
Track(s) taken from CDA67421/2

Ons is gheboren een kindekijn

composer

Christopher Herrick (organ)
Recording details: August 2002
Norrfjärden Kyrka, Piteå, Sweden
Produced by Paul Spicer
Engineered by Simon Eadon
Release date: August 2003
Total duration: 3 minutes 5 seconds
 

Reviews

‘This is really inspiring playing with some compelling insights into the structure of Sweelinck's often monumental pieces’ (Early Music Review)

‘This set is obviously the outcome of a thorough, deeply pondered approach. It more then renders justice to Sweelinck's music by bringing out its variety, inventiveness and fanciful exuberance. Strongly recommended’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Herrick, who is up to all the technical demands made by the music, aptly uses early keyboard fingering, while his carefully chosen registrations … are a real treat for the ear’ (Goldberg)
Although Ons is gheboren een kindekijn (Puer nobis nascitur) had its origins in a plainsong melody, somewhere along the way it became a Dutch folk-song, hence its jaunty dance-like character. Only in the last of its four verses does the melody move to the middle part, with energetic cross-rhythms against the flow of the tune. In many sets of variations the number of parts increases with each movement, although in this case the second verse is in two parts while the others are in three.

from notes by Stephen Westrop © 2003

Si Ons is gheboren een kindekijn (Puer nobis nascitur) puise ses origines dans une mélodie grégorienne, elle s’est parée, en chemin, des atours d’un chant folklorique néerlandais, d’où son climat de danse animée et guillerette. Ce n’est que dans le dernier des quatre versets que le chant est attribué à la partie médiane, avec des contretemps énergiques allant à contre-courant de la mélodie. Dans de nombreux recueils de variations, le nombre de parties augmente avec chaque mouvement, quoique dans le cas présent, le second verset soit écrit pour deux parties et les autres à trois.

extrait des notes rédigées par Stephen Westrop © 2003
Français: Isabelle Battioni

Diese Melodie hat ihren Ursprung in einem gregorianischen Choral. Aber irgendwann wurde es zu einem holländischen Volkslied, was den flotten, tänzerischen Charakter erklärt. Nur in der letzten der vier Strophen rückt die Melodie in die Mittelstimme, wo energische Konfliktrhythmen gegen den Fluss der Melodie auftreten. In vielen Variationsreihen erhöht sich die Anzahl der Stimmen mit jedem Satz. In diesem Fall wird der Stimmsatz in der zweiten Strophe allerdings auf eine Zweistimmigkeit reduziert, während die anderen Strophen dreistimmig sind.

aus dem Begleittext von Stephen Westrop © 2003
Deutsch: Elke Hockings

Waiting for content to load...
Waiting for content to load...