The Eton Choirbook on CD Review: 27 April

[doversoul1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s42sk

9.05am
Choirs of Angels - Music from The Eton Choirbook Vol. 2
BROWNE: O Maria salvatoris mater a 8
CORNYSH: Ave Maria mater Dei a 4
DAVY: Salve Jesu mater vera a 5
LAMBE: O Maria plena gracia a 6
WYLKYNSON: Salve regina a 9
The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, Stephen Darlington (director)
AVIE AV2184 (CD)

The Eton Choirbook
SUTTON: Salve Regina
HOREWUD: Magnificat
STURTON: Gaude Virgo Mater Christi
BROWNE: Stabat Mater
WYLKYNSON: Salve Regina
Huelgas Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel (conductor)
DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 88765408852 (CD)

An Immortal Legacy
TALLIS: Tunes for Archbishop Parker’s Psalter; Salvator mundi; O nata lux; O sacrum convivium; Loquebantur variis linguis; Come Holy Ghost
MORLEY: April is in my mistress’ face
GIBBONS: The Silver Swan
BYRD: This sweet and merry month of May; Laudibus in sanctis
MACMILLAN: Sedebit Dominum Rex; Mitte manum tuam
TIPPETT: Five Spirituals from A Child of Our Time
BRITTEN: Choral Dances from Gloriana
CHILCOTT: Tallis Canon
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (conductor)
CORO COR16111 (CD)

[Vox Humana]

A "must listen" for me, I think. How nice to see some of the more neglected Eton pieces receiving attention.

[DracoM]

Just bought the CCC/ Darlington. The Wylkynson a 9 is the real thing.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just bough the CCC/ Darlington. The Wylkynson a 9 is the real thing.

The Eton Choirbook (and the other, smaller collections, such as the Old Hall Manuscripts) contain Music that just hasn't been bettered. This Music should be as much a (genuine) National Treasure as the Works of Shakespeare. Good to hear that they are starting to receive the wider recognition and recordings that they deserve. There is also a recent (I think!) NAXOS CD that I would have preferred to hear discussed (rather than the excellent Sixteen disc in this context): has anyone heard that? Any comments?

[ardcarp]

Interesting that the Christchurch performance of the Wilkinson was followed immediately (as a comparison) by the same extract from the Huelgas Ensemble. Textures were very much clearer in the latter which was (more or less) OVPP. The Huelgas men in particular use a very straight un-coloured vocal tone which results in absolute clarity. The CCO version had clarity from the boys, but the scholars/clerks were using a pretty full-tilt full-voice sound which in the generous Merton acoustic blurred things to some extent. I find myself in two minds about this. The CCO was clearly more 'authentic' in tat it uses an all-male choir. Having seen the Eton Choir Book in the flesh, it is probable that a more Huelgas-sized choir would have sung from it. But, I liked the CCO sound and wonder if the Huelgas sound might become a bit unrelieved on continuous listening. I have neither CD, but I shall just have to splash out and get both...the Huelgases for their inclusion of some previously unrecorded (or at least lesser known) contents by, for instance, Sutton and Sturton.

[vinteuil]

The Wylkynson a 9 is the real thing.

... ain't it just, tho'!

.

[Miles Coverdale]

Recordings of music from the Eton Choirbook are clearly like London buses: nothing for a while, then two come along together. Both contain two pieces that haven't been recorded before, the Christ Church the Davy and Lambe, the Huelgas one the Sutton and Sturton. Despite what it says on the Huelgas CD, the Horwood Magnificat was recorded a few years ago by Pomerium. I find the occasional slightly wilful changes of tempo on the Huelgas CD a bit distracting, but both a valuable additions to the Eton discography.