The Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge - Jonathan Bielby: Seven Last Words from the Cross and Other Choral Works (2025)

Jonathan Bielby MBE is Organist Emeritus of Wakefield Cathedral, where he was Organist and Director of Music for forty years from 1970 to 2010. As a composer Jonathan Bielby has written mainly for organ and voices, and this album brings together a selection of his recent sacred choral compositions.

The major work is 'Seven Last Words from the Cross' which explores the Crucifixion story from the point of view of St Mary Magdalene. It is an extended and dramatic work which includes two hymns for the congregation, and makes a compelling modern alternative to Stainer's 'The Crucifixion' for performance on Good Friday. The remaining works include an a capella Mass setting for Wakefield Cathedral, and Evening Canticles for St George's Chapel, Windsor, the latter imaginatively setting the hymn tune of that name (usually sung to the harvest hymn 'Come, ye thankful people, come') as a quiet ostinato background to Mary singing the words of the Magnificat. The final two works are anthems: an a capella setting of the beautiful words 'Love's endeavour, love's expense'; and the album concludes with an extended virtuoso work in praise of St Cecilia - the Patron Saint of Music.

The Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, under their director, Sarah MacDonald, has established an enviable reputation in their ongoing series of distinguished albums, each devoted to a single contemporary composer, in addition to their themed releases, including 'The Eternal Ecstasy' - a survey of music in 'The Ecstatic Style' - which was Classic FM's 'Album of the Week' in July 2013. Canadian-born Sarah MacDonald was the first female Director of Music in an Oxbridge College Chapel, and recently celebrated 25 years in this role. She combines this with being Director of the Girl Choristers of Ely Cathedral, and is currently University Organist at Cambridge, and President of the Royal College of Organists.