Simon Preston and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford (19CD)

Simon Preston / Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford

Simon Preston and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford (19CD)

When he arrived at Christ Church, Preston was very much the “new broom”. His intelligence and erudition as a scholar together with his innate superhuman energy re-vitalised the choir with a verve not often apparent in the genteel world of English cathedral music and it was not long before there was an ambition to make recordings, the first of which was of Walton’s music. With a judicious choice of repertory, the subsequent discs garnered excellent reviews and the cathedral choir began to be recognised as one of the finest collegiate choirs.

Together they set down acclaimed accounts — often with the period instrument specialists of the English Concert and the Academy of Ancient Music — of composers from Haydn back to Handel and Purcell, and beyond to Lassus and Palestrina. The discs in this set — their complete recordings on the Argo and L’Oiseau-Lyre labels — are testimony to Preston’s remarkable achievements there.

TRACK LIST

CD 1 BYRD Mass for 4 Voices*• Mass for 5 Voices*
CD 2–3 LASSUS Alma Redemptoris Mater • Missa “Bell Amfitrit’ Altera” • Omnes de Saba venient• Psalmi Poenitentiales V* & VII• Salve Regina• Tui sunt coeli
CD 4–5 HANDEL Israel in Egypt
Gale · Watson · Bowman · Partridge · McDonnell · Watt · English Chamber Orchestra · organ Preston
CD 6 DVOŘÁK Mass
Ritchie · Giles · Byers · Morton · organ Cleobury
CD 7 STRAVINSKY Canticum Sacrum • Symphony of Psalms Morton• Creed
Philip Jones Ensemble
CD 8 POULENC 4 Motets pour le temps de Noël • 4 Motets pour un temps de penitence
STRAVINSKY Mass
London Sinfonietta
CD 9 WALTON A Litany • Jubilate Deo • Missa Brevis (1966) • The Twelve • Set Me As a Seal upon Thine Heart • Where Does the Uttered Music Go? • Make We Joy Now in This Fest • All This Time • What Cheer?
Giles · Hayward · Jones · Roy · Morton · Rowlinson · organ Darlington
CD 10 BRAHMS Geistliches Lied* • BRUCKNER Ave Maria* • Locus iste* • Virga Jesse* • ELGAR Give unto the Lord*
FAURÉ Ave verum* • KALINNIKOV I Will Love Thee* • RACHMANINOFF Hymn of the Cherubim*
VERDI Ave Maria* • Pater Noster*
organ Walsh
CD 11 J.S. BACH Der Gerechte kömmt um BWV 1149• Magnificat in E flat BWV 243a
Kirkby · Nelson · Watkinson · Elliott · Thomas · Academy of Ancient Music
CD 12–15 HANDEL Anthem for the Foundling Hospital • Messiah
AAM/Hogwood
Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne • “Utrecht” Te Deum & Jubilate
Nelson · Kirkby · Minty · Watkinson · Bowman · Brett · Covey-Crump · Elliott · Hill · Thomas · AAM
CD 16 VIVALDI Gloria in D RV589 • Nulla in mundo pax sincera RV630
Nelson · Kirkby · Watkinson · AAM
CD 17–19 HAYDN Masses Hob. XXII:1, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Nelson · Kirkby · Cable · Minty · Watkinson · Covey-Crump · Hill · Thomas · AAM · ˇorgan Hogwood