Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum - Sweet was the Song (2023)

Sweet was the Song is a collection of festive repertoire featuring many first recordings of new music from the 21st century. Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum is the choir of choristers and lay clerks that sings the weekday services of Choral Evensong in the Abbey during school term time. In 2006, Dean Close Preparatory School became the choir school for the choristers of Schola Cantorum, following the closure of the former Abbey School in Tewkesbury. Every year since then, the Dean Close Schools have commissioned a new Christmas carol, all of which have been performed by the Schola Cantorum and the Senior School’s Chapel Choir at their respective carol services. On this album, nine of these commissioned works are featured, forming the backbone of the programme, with first recordings of works by Alexander L’Estrange, Owain Park, Kerensa Briggs, Ben Ponniah, Malcolm Archer, Carleton Etherington, and Neil Cox. Recorded in the glorious acoustic of Tewkesbury Abbey the recording also features two organ solo pieces from David Bednall and George Baker, played by Carleton Etherington.