Set Upon the Rood: New Music for Choir & Ancient Instruments Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge & Geoffrey Webber

• James MacMillan (b. 1959):
• 1 MacMillan: Noli Pater 08:16
• John Kenny (b. 1957): The Deer’s Cry:
• 2 Kenny: The Deer’s Cry: Part I 04:00
• 3 Kenny: The Deer’s Cry: Part II 02:43
• 4 Kenny: The Deer’s Cry: Part III 01:18
• 5 Kenny: The Deer’s Cry: Part IV 01:18
• 6 Kenny: The Deer’s Cry: Part V 02:32
• 7 Kenny: The Deer’s Cry: Part VI 04:10
• Stuart MacRae (b. 1976):
• 8 MacRae: Cantata 08:54
• Anonymous:
• 9 Crux fidelis 04:59
• Francis Grier (b. 1955):
• 10 Grier: Cantemus 13:05
• Stevie Wishart (b. 1969):
• 11 Wishart: Iste Confessor 03:58
• Stephen Bick (b. 1993):
• 12 Bick: Set upon the Rood 12:58
• Total Runtime 01:08:11

Info for Set Upon the Rood: New Music for Choir & Ancient Instruments

Seven works of uneven quality inspire an intimate relationship between the very old and very new, each featuring one or more ancient instrument (all played brilliantly), as colours conspiring with the most venerable instrument of all: the voice. The performers throw themselves into everything with attention-grabbing fervour. Singing that impresses with great intensity, accuracy and often quite terrific power (theatrical opportunities are gleefully exploited) does full justice to all, including outstanding works by James MacMillan and Stuart MacRae. The rest ranges entertainingly from mood-music to horror-movie sound-track via some welcome soothing sweetness and plangency.

Three years after the runaway success of In Praise of St Columba, its previous collaboration with piper Barnaby Brown, the ever-innovative Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge reunites with Brown – now also joined by lyre player Bill Taylor and ancient brass specialists John and Patrick Kenny.

All four are members of the European Music Archaeology Project, whose own ongoing collaboration with Delphian has captivated listeners and reviewers with its glimpses of the sound of Europe’s ancient instruments. Here, those extraordinary sonorities blend with and emerge around the Caius singers’ committed contributions in seven richly conceived new pieces; a world premiere commission by Sir James MacMillan sets up the Celtic theme.

"Triplepipe, aulos, carnyx and Loughnashade horn: the odds are firmly against you ever having heard these dinosaurs of musical instrument history in action. This intriguing CD resurrects their sounds, in works by seven contemporary composers…the Gonville and Caius Choir responds with élan and versatility to the constantly shifting demands…their effort is worth it: genuinely new sounds and combinations are created in this shape-shifting project" (BBC Music Magazine)

"Suddenly sound and music exist in a single sonic continuum and the effect is exhilarating–both ancient and fundamental but undeniably modern...This is a disc that will leave you bewildered in the best possible way, assaulted and seduced by deeply unfamiliar sounds." (Gramophone)

Barnaby Brown, triplepipes, aulos
Bill Taylor, lyre
John & Patrick Kenny, ancient horns
Choir of Gonville
Caius College, Cambridge
Geoffrey Webber, director

No biography found.

This album contains no booklet.