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Track(s) taken from CDA67593

Ecce sacerdos magnus

composer
1888
author of text
Common of a Confessor Bishop

Westminster Abbey Choir, James O'Donnell (conductor), Robert Quinney (organ)
Recording details: July 2006
Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Jeremy Summerly
Engineered by Simon Eadon & David Hinitt
Release date: February 2007
Total duration: 3 minutes 14 seconds
 

Other recordings available for download

Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt (conductor), Adrian Partington (organ)

Reviews

‘The Abbey Choir … give an excellent account of themselves, the trebles especially singing with the confidence of professional musicianship and with voices in fine, generous bloom. In some of the short, quieter pieces, such as They are at rest and Ecce sacerdos magnus, they achieve a standard as near perfection as any. And Robert Quinney is a tremendous asset: an organist who puts his technical skill to imaginative use, sometimes … to vivid effect. Recorded sound is both clear and spacious, and the authoritative booklet contains some evocative period photographs’ (Gramophone)

‘The Westminster Abbey Choir delivers its organ-accompanied programme with beautiful tonal colour and blend’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The most impressive items are Great is the Lord and Give unto the Lord, two powerfully expressive large-scale anthems composed just before the First World War. Their texts allow Elgar to explore a wide range of choral and organ effects in the service of some vividly graphic word-painting, which Westminster Abbey Choir bring to life with obvious relish’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘James O'Donnell never lets a detail pass or an effect count for nothing; likewise the Westminster Abbey Choir. Rarities, such as the Queen Alexandra Memorial Ode of 1932, receive equal care and attention … above all, this disc projects Elgarian grandeur and dignity’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Every work on the disc receives a convincing performance. James O'Donnell has chosen the tempi carefully, allowing the music enough space to breathe in the Abbey's generous acoustic whilst managing to avoid any sense of dragging. The choir sings well throughout and almost without fail produces a well-blended sound. Robert Quinney's accompaniments are colourful and exciting … highly recommended’ (Cathedral Music)

‘The Choir of Westminster Abbey, directed by James O'Donnell, does great service in a programme ranging from his naive early pieces for his local Catholic Church, to Coronation music and an Ode, written for the unveiling of Queen Alexandra's memorial in 1932, one of his last pieces. Beautiful singing and sound quality from Hyperion’ (Liverpool Daily Post)

‘These choral works can be judged as small masterpieces’ (Classics Today)
In October 1888 the Archbishop of Birmingham visited St George’s and for this occasion Elgar produced this setting developed from a melody in Haydn’s Harmoniemesse. It was orchestrated in 1893 for St Catherine’s of Siena, Birmingham. In this case it is dedicated to his boyhood friend Hubert Leicester, the son of a Worcester printer. Leicester was choirmaster at St George’s when Elgar was organist. His career was spent as a Worcester Accountant. He was for many years Mayor of Worcester and was later responsible for Elgar receiving the freedom of the city.

from notes by Lewis Foreman © 2007

Elgar produisit cette œuvre en octobre 1888, à l’occasion d’une visite à Saint George de l’archevêque de Birmingham. Développée à partir d’une mélodie de l’Harmoniemesse de Haydn, elle fut orchestrée en 1893 pour l’église Sainte-Catherine de Sienne, à Birmingham. Cette fois, Elgar la dédia à son ami d’enfance Hubert Leicester, un fils d’imprimeur de Worcester qui fut maître de chœur à Saint George quand Elgar y était organiste. Il fut, durant toute sa carrière, comptable à Worcester, ville dont il fut longtemps le maire—il fut, plus tard, chargé de nommer Elgar citoyen d’honneur de la ville.

extrait des notes rédigées par Lewis Foreman © 2007
Français: Hyperion Records Ltd

Im Oktober 1888 besuchte der Erzbischof von Birmingham die St. Georgskirche, und für diesen Anlass produzierte Elgar diese Vertonung, die auf einer Melodie aus Haydns Harmoniemesse basiert. Sie wurde 1893 für die Kirche der Hl. Katharina von Siena in Birmingham orchestriert. In diesem Fall ist sie Elgars Kindheitsfreund Hubert Leicester gewidmet, der Chorleiter der Georgskirche war, als Elgar dort als Organist wirkte. Leicester arbeitete als Buchhalter in Worcester und war viele Jahre lang Bürgermeister von Worcester; er war später dafür verantwortlich, dass Elgar die Ehrenbürgerschaft erhielt.

aus dem Begleittext von Lewis Foreman © 2007
Deutsch: Renate Wendel

Other albums featuring this work

Elgar: Cathedral Music
CDH55147
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