CD 1
Part 1
1. Symphony 3:09
The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
2. 1. Accompagnato: Comfort ye, My people 3:03
3. 2. Air: Ev'ry Valley shall be exalted 3:30
John Mark Ainsley, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
4. 3. Chorus: And the glory of the Lord 3:04
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
5. 4. Accompagnato: Thus saith the Lord 1:20
Alastair Miles, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
6. 5. Air: But who may abide the day of his coming 4:19
Hilary Summers, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
7. 6. Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Levi 2:37
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
8. 7. Recitative: Behold, a virgin shall conceive 0:24
9. 8. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion 3:44
Hilary Summers, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
10. Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion 1:42
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
11. 10. Accompagnato: For behold, darkness shall cover 2:08
12. 11. Air: The people that walked in darkness 3:50
Alastair Miles, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
13. 12. Chorus: For unto us a Child is born 4:08
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
14. 13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) 2:37
The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
15. 14. Recitative: There were shepherds - Accompagnato: And lo, the angel of the Lord - Recitative: And the angel said unto them - Accompagnato: And suddenly 1:26
Lynne Dawson, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
16. 15. Chorus: Glory to God in the highest 1:53
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
17. 16. Air: Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion 4:25
18. 17a. Recitative: Then shall the eyes of the blind 0:28
19. 18a. Duet: He shall feed his flock 5:01
Lynne Dawson, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
20. 19. Chorus: His yoke is easy 2:30
Part 2
21. 20. Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God 2:34
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
22. 21. Air: He was despised 10:37
Hilary Summers, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
23. 22. Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs 1:57
24. 23. Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed 1:52
25. 24. Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray 4:00
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
CD 2
Part 2
1. 25. Accompagnato: All they that see Him 0:49
John Mark Ainsley, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
2. 26. Chorus: He trusted in God 2:25
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
3. 27. Recit - Thy rebuke hath broken his heart 1:51
4. 28. Arioso: Behold and see 1:27
John Mark Ainsley, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
5. 29. Accompagnato: He was cut off 0:19
6. 30. Aria: But thou didst not leave 2:20
Lynne Dawson, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
7. 31. Chorus: Lift up your heads 3:18
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
8. 32. Recitative: Unto which of the angels 0:21
John Mark Ainsley, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
9. 33. Chorus: Let all the angels of God 1:36
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
10. 34a. Air: Thou art gone up on high 3:14
Hilary Summers, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
11. 35. Chorus: The Lord gave the word 1:13
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
12. 36. Air: How beautiful are the feet 2:20
Lynne Dawson, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
13. 37a. Chorus: Their sound is gone out 1:39
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
14. 38. Air: Why do the nations 1:25
Alastair Miles, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
15. 39. Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder 1:54
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
16. 40. Recitative: He that dwelleth in heaven 0:11
17. 41. Air: Thou shalt break them 2:09
John Mark Ainsley, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
18. 42. Chorus: Hallelujah 4:01
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
Part 3
19. 43. Air: I know that my Redeemer liveth 5:55
Lynne Dawson, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
20. 44. Chorus: Since by man came death 2:03
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
21. 45. Accompagnato: Behold, I tell you a mystery 0:36
22. 46. Air: The trumpet shall sound 8:44
Alastair Miles, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
23. 47. Recitative: Then shall be brought to pass 0:18
Hilary Summers, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
24. 48. Duet: O death where is thy sting? 1:09
Hilary Summers, John Mark Ainsley, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
25. 49. Chorus: But thanks be to God 2:20
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
26. 50. Air: If God be for us 5:18
Lynne Dawson, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
27. 51. Worthy is the Lamb - Blessing and honour - 3:36
28. Amen 3:51
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Stephen Cleobury
Although Stephen Cleobury (pronounced "clow-bury," the first syllable rhyming with how) has spent his career as an organist and director of English cathedral and college choirs, activities associated primarily with very old music, he has long shown a commitment to quite new music, as well. Cleobury got an early start in music as a boy chorister at Worcester Cathedral, then studied organ and choral music under George Guest, David Willcocks, and others at St. John's College, Cambridge. Named sub-organist at Westminster Abbey in 1974, Cleobury gave the premiere of Malcolm Williamson's The Lion of Suffolk at Benjamin Britten's memorial service in 1976. This was Cleobury's first high-profile connection with brand new music, a connection he would maintain through the coming years.
In 1979 Cleobury was appointed master of music at Westminster Cathedral, and in 1982 he added to his duties music director at King's College, Cambridge. From this position, he was able to commission a new Christmas carol every year for King's College's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (often broadcast internationally). As director of the Cambridge University Musical Society from 1983 to 2009, he conducted the first performances of works by Robin Holloway and Robert Saxton. This experience put him in good stead when he was named principal conductor of the versatile BBC Singers in 1995 (becoming conductor laureate in 2007); that year he also became a visiting professor at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Cleobury has made many recordings as a choral director and as an organist, often exploring the less-traveled corners of the repertory, and his choral arrangements are widely used. His younger brother is orchestral conductor Nicholas Cleobury. -- James Reel
