Emily Gray, Jeffrey Makinson, Claire Buckley, Manchester Cathedral Choir, Christopher Stokes - Passiontide: Music for Solace and Reflection (2003) [Hi-Res]

• Title: Passiontide: Music for Solace and Reflection
  
• Year Of Release: 2003
  
• Label: Naxos
  
• Genre: Classical
  
• Quality: flac lossless / flac 24bits - 44.1kHz +Booklet
  
• Total Time: 01:04:04
  
• Total Size: 253 / 550 mb
  
• WebSite: Album Preview
  

Tracklist

01. Hear my prayer
02. O Taste and See: O taste and see
03. Litany to the Holy Spirit
04. Wash me throughly
05. Stabat Mater: Stabat mater dolorosa
06. Stabat Mater: Inflammatus et accensus
07. Stabat Mater: Quando corpus morietur
08. Stabat Mater: Amen
09. Ne irascaris, domine: Civitas sancti tui
10. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244: St Matthew Passion, BWV 244: O sacred head sore wounded (O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden)
11. Anna Magdalena Notenbuch (Clavier-Buchlein III): Bist du bei mir, BWV 508 (attrib. to G.H. Stolzel)
12. O vos omnes : O vos omnes
13. Crucifixus a 8
14. O bone Jesu
15. Drop, drop, slow tears: Drop, drop slow tears
16. Ex ore innocentium
17. Lord, let me know mine end
18. When I survey the wondrous Cross: When I survey the wonderous cross


As a showcase for the well-trained voices of Emily Gray (BBC Radio 2 Choir Girl of the year 2000-2001) and Claire Buckley this selection shows both singers striving to meet the stylistic demands of titbits from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Sometimes, considering the odds, they succeed very well. All the pieces are arranged for soloists, choir and organ, though they require very differing resources. For example these include boys’ voices and various instruments, particularly strings. Authenticity aside, for composers with such differing stylistic demands as Bach, Vaughan Williams, Byrd and Antonio Lotti, the formula remains the same: an over-zealous choir and a Hymns Ancient and Modern organ accompaniment. With sixteen boys and girls from Chetham’s School of Music plus nine lusty lay clerks an imbalance between tenors and the higher voices in the choir is apparent from the start. In the first item, Mendelssohn’s Hear my prayer this defect remains troublesome in Manchester Cathedral’s lofty acoustic and remains as the programme continues. Emily Grey’s youthful, unforced soprano is in control throughout. Her sensitive musicianship and excellent diction bodes well for her future career.

Overall, however, this is a somewhat hand-me-down disc. I am no purist and have no objection to compilations or arrangements provided they have valid credentials, but after half an hour this disc was already beginning to outstay its welcome. The wide disparity of periods and styles make for a confection that might bring the promised ‘solace and reflection’ to some, but does not satisfy the musical criteria of most of the items included.

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