Ardingly College Schola Cantorum - Sing Joyfully (2022)

Sing Joyfully is a wonderful collection of contemporary choral music, brilliantly performed by the Ardingly College Schola Cantorum under the direction of the Director of Music, Richard Stafford. The central premise and thread of this disc is a celebration of choral singing at Ardingly College with special reference to the anniversary of 2020 which saw the College mark its 150th year on its current site. With this landmark at the forefront, the music chosen for this disc centred on contemporary composers with two works by each of Sir James MacMillan, Will Todd, Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo and David Bednall. Throughout the course of the disc, there are numerous references to seminal moments in both the liturgical and school calendars with Advent Antiphons and Carols, emotive works for Remembrance, settings of texts appropriate for the Eucharist, Lenten Anthems and secular works which the choir enjoys. The final piece, the title work of this disc, is a commission written for the choir celebrating this school anniversary by David Bednall, who also performed as organist throughout the whole recording.