 CRD3483 |
William Boyce Select Anthems The Choir of New College, Oxford Directed by Edward Higginbottom O where shall wisdom be found? Wherewithal shall a young man I have surely built thee an house O praise the Lord. Turn thee unto me O give thanks By the waters of Babylon The Lord is King be the people never so impatient Organ Voluntaries |
Gramophone
"This
is an attractively constructed programme of anthems and voluntaries by one of
our own most gifted baroque composers. Boyce was a younger contemporary of
Handel and a great champion of his music, which he tirelessly and
enthusiastically promoted. Nowadays Boyce is chiefly known for his
'symphonies', but in his own day he was mainly concerned with the composition
of vocal music. This new disc testifies to his strength in setting sacred texts
and to his sensibility towards the words themselves. His anthems with organ
accompaniment have been harshly assessed by some critics, yet much here seems
to warrant warmer enthusiasm than is sometimes shown, and more especially when
the performances are as sympathetic as these. Five of the pieces are verse
anthems which essentially belong to the tradition established by the
Restoration composers in the previous century. Three others-Wherewithal shall a
young man, Turn thee unto me and By the waters of Babylon-are earlier full
anthems consisting of outer choral movements which frame one for a smaller
ensemble of voices. In addition to the anthems Edward Higginbottom has included
three organ voluntaries from Boyce's "Ten Voluntaries for Organ and
Harpsichord". The choir of New College, Oxford is on characteristically strong
form; indeed, I found the well-balanced vocal strands, the clear textures, sure
intonation and upper-strand brilliance even more beguiling than usual. The
verse anthem I have surely built thee an house comes over splendidly, affording
an example of this choir at its most impressive. But much else here is of a
comparably high calibre as is, for example, the beautifully controlled and
sensitive interpretation of the fine anthem By the waters of Babylon, a
particularly happy marriage of words and music. Higginbottom brings an
effective lucidity to the solo vocal ensemble while suffusing the whole with a
soft radiance. How any listener could be left indifferent to this music is
quite beyond comprehension. A warm welcome to the present disc, effectively
recorded in New College Chapel."
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