Modern choral works/composers

[Beef Oven!]

Whilst waiting for a friend a couple of days ago, I whiled away the time by listening to bits and pieces on YouTube and quite by accident came across 'Luminosity' by James Whitbourn. I really enjoyed it. It seemed different to the Howells et al. I ordered it from Amazon (Naxos). It arrived next day, but I'm abroad at the moment so I'll have to wait to do any serious listening.

It made me wonder if there is a body of 'modern' choral works. Francis Potts cropped up on the 'those who bought this....' On Amazon. I have no idea if his work is similar. Lauridsen's name cropped up too.

I bought John Rutter's Requiem on Naxos a few years back and it didn't do anything for me and I really haven't played it more than twice.

I have plenty of Arvo Part, Penderecki etc.

But is there a whole bunch of modern choral works/composers out there?

[ahinton]

Whilst waiting for a friend a couple of days ago, I whiled away the time by listening to bits and pieces on YouTube and quite by accident came across 'Luminosity' by James Whitbourn. I really enjoyed it. It seemed different to the Howells et al. I ordered it from Amazon (Naxos). It arrived next day, but I'm abroad at the moment so I'll have to wait to do any serious listening.

It made me wonder if there is a body of 'modern' choral works. Francis Potts cropped up on the 'those who bought this....' On Amazon. I have no idea if his work is similar. Lauridsen's name cropped up too.

I bought John Rutter's Requiem on Naxos a few years back and it didn't do anything for me and I really haven't played it more than twice.

I have plenty of Arvo Part, Penderecki etc.

But is there a whole bunch of modern choral works/composers out there?

Try Ferneyhough's early Missa Brevis (I think that you could tell it apart from Mr Rutter, fortunately...)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

How big a choir do you fancy, BeefO? If you like small-scale/soloistic choirs and you're not expecting the big "Choral Society" sound, then I would recommend these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Ferneyhough-Choral-Works-Singers/dp/B000PE0LEG/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983014&sr=1-7&keywords=brian+ferneyhough

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christopher-Fox-Exaudi-Vocal-Ensemble/dp/B002SYSHQU/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983374&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=christopher+fox%2C+exhaudi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fox-Glimpse-Sions-Glory-Exaudi/dp/B000BR6DQM/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983374&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=christopher+fox%2C+exhaudi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Finnissy-Maldon-other-works/dp/B0007ZEGXK/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983543&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=michael+finnissy%2C+exhaudi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finnissy-7-Sacred-Motets-Michael/dp/B00005824Y/ref=sr_1_13?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983582&sr=1-13&keywords=michael+finnissy

[Beef Oven!]

Try Ferneyhough's early Missa Brevis (I think that you could tell it apart from Mr Rutter, fortunately...)

Thanks

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Closer to Part than Rutter (which sounds like the title of an Elizabethan lyric poem!):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gabriel-Jackson-Requiem-Vasari-Singers/dp/B00925TB5O/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983795&sr=1-1&keywords=gabriel+jackson

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gabriel-Jackson-Sacred-Choral-Works/dp/B000AZ6NA6/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983795&sr=1-2&keywords=gabriel+jackson

[Beef Oven!]

How big a choir do you fancy, BeefO? If you like small-scale/soloistic choirs and you're not expecting the big "Choral Society" sound, then I would recommend these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Ferneyhough-Choral-Works-Singers/dp/B000PE0LEG/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983014&sr=1-7&keywords=brian+ferneyhough

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christopher-Fox-Exaudi-Vocal-Ensemble/dp/B002SYSHQU/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983374&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=christopher+fox%2C+exhaudi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fox-Glimpse-Sions-Glory-Exaudi/dp/B000BR6DQM/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983374&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=christopher+fox%2C+exhaudi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Finnissy-Maldon-other-works/dp/B0007ZEGXK/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429983543&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=michael+finnissy%2C+exhaudi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finnissy-7-S...chael+finnissy

Thanks, I'll check them out.

But I was thinking of big choirs!

[Beef Oven!]

Does anybody rate Karl Jenkins? I do struggle to get my head around him not being in Soft Machine!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Try Ferneyhough's early Missa Brevis (I think that you could tell it apart from Mr Rutter, fortunately...)

And within a minute, I'd also suggested this in my first recommendation.

There's also

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Scottish-Choral-Music/dp/B0000271V6/ref=sr_1_30?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429984067&sr=1-30&keywords=ronald+stevenson

... though sadly not In Praise of Ben Dorain

[DracoM]

Baltic Voices - put that into Amazon.

[ChrisBennell]

I came across Bob Chilcott couple of years ago featured by a local choir. I would strongly recommend his work if you're not familiar with him, which is immediately approachable (not unlike Rutter and Lauridsen).

http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/category/music/composers/chilcott.do

For a 3 minute taster, I enjoyed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCFH_Jz2r8w

Lots more on Youtube.

[ardcarp]

Has no-ne mentioned Tavener, MacMillan, Lauridsen or Whitacre? And then there's our very own Gabriel Jackson:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gabriel-Jackson-Sacred-Choral-Works/dp/B000AZ6NA6

...a very enjoyable CD.

I often wonder what the 'hindsight view' of the musical language of the late 20th early 21st century will be. Sadly I will not be around to have one.

[Gabriel Jackson]

But I was thinking of big choirs!

How big is big (serious question)?
None of these choirs are small:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorecki-National-Youth-Choir-Britain/dp/B007RC53VA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047204&sr=8-1&keywords=gorecki+national+youth+choir

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amber-Songs-Kamer-Youth-Choir/dp/993483183X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047238&sr=8-1&keywords=amber+songs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Baltic...the+baltic+sea (the Plakidis Choral Symphony is a masterpiece, and the Grigorjeva Concerto pretty fantastic too)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sven-David-Sandstrom-Swedish-Radio-Choir/dp/B0048JLXHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047268&sr=8-1&keywords=swedish+radio+sandstrom

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vasks-Plainscapes-Ondine-ODE-1194-2/dp/B006CAXPNQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047289&sr=8-7&keywords=latvian+radio+choir

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Has no-ne mentioned Tavener, MacMillan, Lauridsen or Whitacre?

N.

But GJ has been mentioned (along with that very CD you recommend).

I often wonder what the 'hindsight view' of the musical language of the late 20th early 21st century will be. Sadly I will not be around to have one.

I love the opportunity to have "sight" (or, as I like to think, "foresight") of this Music as it is happening - we are the only people hearing it for the first first time; relish the unique experience and let hindsight sort itself out.

[Beef Oven!]

How big is big (serious question)?
None of these choirs are small:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorecki-National-Youth-Choir-Britain/dp/B007RC53VA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047204&sr=8-1&keywords=gorecki+national+youth+choir

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amber-Songs-Kamer-Youth-Choir/dp/993483183X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047238&sr=8-1&keywords=amber+songs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Baltic...the+baltic+sea (the Plakidis Choral Symphony is a masterpiece, and the Grigorjeva Concerto pretty fantastic too)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sven-David-Sandstrom-Swedish-Radio-Choir/dp/B0048JLXHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430047268&sr=8-1&keywords=swedish+radio+sandstrom

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vasks-Plains...an+radio+choir

Hi thanks for the links. I've a fair bit of Gorecki, but the others I'll check out.
N
I was thinking of choirs a bit bigger than ferney's descriptionof 'small scale soloistic'.

What perhaps I should have said was that I was wondering about British modern choral composers, in the main (without ruling out others).

To that end I was browsing on Amazon last night and found a highly rated Requiem, so I duly ordered it. It was by Gabriel Jackson. Are you one and the same?

[ardcarp]

Sorry to answer for him, but yes he is.