Schola Cantorum Of Oxford, Mark Shepherd - Nicholas Maw: One Foot in Eden Still, I Stand & Other Choral Works (2007)

Tracklist

01. 3 Hymns: I. Morning Hymn
02. 3 Hymns: II. Pastoral Hymn
03. 3 Hymns: III. Evening Hymn
04. 5 Epigrams: I. On a Noisy Polemic
05. 5 Epigrams: II. On the Death of Robert Ruisseaux
06. 5 Epigrams: III. On a Henpecked Country Squire
07. 5 Epigrams: IV. On a Lady Famed for Her Caprice
08. 5 Epigrams: V. Andrew Turner
09. The Angel Gabriel
10. Our Lady's Song
11. Balulalow
12. Corpus Christi Carol
13. Swete Jesu
14. 5 Irish Songs: I. I Shall Not Die for Thee
15. 5 Irish Songs: II. Dear Dark Head
16. 5 Irish Songs: III. Popular Song
17. 5 Irish Songs: IV. Ringleted Youth of My Love
18. 5 Irish Songs: V. Jig
19. One Foot in Eden Still, I Stand

The choral works by Nicholas Maw collected here span over 30 years, from 1960, very early in his career, to 1992. While Maw's musical language in general evolved over that time, from a heavy reliance on serialism to a style embracing a broader spectrum of tonal possibilities, his choral writing remained surprisingly consistent. Even the earliest of these choral works display a strong lyrical impulse and a richly chromatic but broadly tonal harmonic vocabulary. All the pieces show great skill in choral writing and an astonishing inventiveness in the handling of counterpoint and texture. Maw has said that he intends his choral music for amateurs, but it's hard to imagine any but the most disciplined choirs tackling scores of such complexity. But, because so many of Maw's settings are so appealing and attractive, it's easy to imagine amateur choruses wistfully wishing they could perform them. Several of the more recent scores, Three Hymns, based on the works of seventeenth century poets, and One foot in Eden still, I stand, using a text by Edwin Muir, are rhapsodic in their lyric and expressive sweep, and are among the most sensually engaging on the album. The Schola Cantorum of Oxford, a mixed choir, conducted by Mark Shepherd, negotiates the demanding scores with complete mastery and sings with warm and robust tone.

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