Parry: Songs of Farewell
Bennett, R R: A Good-night
Elgar: They are at rest
Harris, W: Bring us, O Lord God
Holst: The Evening-watch, H159
Howells:
Take him, earth, for cherishing
Parry: Songs of Farewell
Sullivan, A: The long day closes
Tavener: Funeral Ikos
Vaughan Williams: The Turtle Dov; Rest

Tenebrae/Nigel Short

Signum - SIGCD267 [Normally: £12.75 - Special: £8.92]

Not in my regular listening repertoire, but sitting down with clear black-on-white texts in an informative booklet by Malcolm MacDonald - track ordering altered after he wrote it - this disc of mainly religiously inspired unaccompanied choral music had me engrossed from begnning to end.

Parry's motets, "almost a musical summation of his compositional life", grow from 4 voices by increments up to full double choir, make a fascinating series which enhances and changes what one may have thought about him; he fell out of favour at the start of the Great War. The other choices of examples by English composers bring in variety and contrast.

Nigel Short formed his choir as a world class ensemble to bring movement around venues 'with a more "theatrical" style of performance'. You can get a good idea of this potential on YouTube.

A DVD seems overdue?

Recommended, and there are reduced price offers available.

Peter Grahame Woolf