Catalogue

Summary:

“Composers with ties to the college feature prominently in The Choir of Christ Church, Oxford‘s A Lullaby Carol, and director Steven Grahl has taken pains to avoid obvious selections. ‘Make we joy now in this fest’ and ‘All this time’ by William Walton, a Christ Church alumnus, showcase the choir’s robust, ripe-toned attack. Nimble agility is Frances-Hoad’s ‘Good Day, Sir Christemas!’, and in Giles Swayne’s acrobatic Magnificat. Piers Connor Kennedy, a former choir member, contributes three harmonically adventurous carols, while organist Benjamin Sheen excels in virtuosic solo works by George Baker and Francis Pott.” – ★★★★ BBC Music Magazine, Christmas issue 2024

The resounding refrains of The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford reverberate throughout A Lullaby Carol: Christmas from Christ Church, a rich tapestry of traditional and contemporary works celebrating the choir’s musical heritage, particularly from the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Highlights include the melodically and rhythmically rich “Make we joy now in this fest” and “All this time” by Sir William Walton, one of Christ Church’s most famous alumni, and Simon Preston’s timeless “There is no rose”. There are also two settings by former Organists of Christ Church: Stephen Darlington’s arrangement of “Silent Night”, and his successor Steven Grahl’s setting of “O nata lux”.

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The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, is delighted to present this collection of Christmas music. It is a collection of traditional and contemporary works, celebrating the choir’s rich musical heritage alongside its commitment to new music. The album begins with Make we joy now in this fest, written by one of Christ Church’s most famous sons, Sir William Walton. Like his other carol on the album, All this time, it is a vibrant expression of the strophic carol form. Elizabeth Poston’s Jesus Christ
the Apple Tree follows, offering a moment of reflection in its simplicity.
Francis Pott’s Improvisation on Adeste, fideles is an inventive reimagining of the familiar Christmas carol. David Maw, a distinguished lecturer in music at Christ Church, offers similarly fresh and bold settings of I Saw Three Ships, Away in a Manger, and Lullay, lullay, litel child.
This recording features three settings by recent Organists of Christ Church: Simon Preston’s There is no rose, Stephen Darlington’s arrangement of Silent night! Holy night!, and my own setting of O nata lux. Judith Weir’s iconic responses to Advent- and Christmas-tide texts, Robert L. Morris’s Glory to the newborn King, and George Baker’s exhilarating Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol have proved to be firm favourites in the Christ Church repertoire.
A former Lay Clerk of the choir, Piers Connor Kennedy’s evocative carols A Spotless Rose, Epiphany and little tree, are each marked by his lyrical and harmonic sophistication. Works by Peter Warlock, who studied at Christ Church, sit alongside Giles Swayne’s Magnificat, written for this choir in 1982. Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s setting of Good Day, Sir Christemas! brings our programme to a fitting conclusion.
STEVEN GRAHL

Tracklist:

WILLIAM WALTON (1902–1983)
1. Make we joy now in this fest 3.48

ELIZABETH POSTON (1905–1987)
2. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree 3.13

SIMON PRESTON (1938–2022)
3. There is no rose 3.06

GILES SWAYNE (b. 1946)
4. Magnificat 4.10

PIERS CONNOR KENNEDY (b. 1991)
5. A Spotless Rose 4.06

WILLIAM WALTON
6. All this time 1.43

JUDITH WEIR (b. 1954); arr. David Maw (b. 1967)
7. Drop down, ye heavens, from above 1.55

TRADITIONAL; arr. David Maw (b. 1967)
8. I Saw Three Ships 2.50
9. Away in a Manger 3.29

GEORGE BAKER (b. 1951)
10. Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol 5.02

DAVID MAW (b. 1967)
11. Lullay, lullay, litel child 4.32

PETER WARLOCK (1894–1930)
12. Benedicamus Domino 1.31

PIERS CONNOR KENNEDY
13. little tree 2.10
words: e e cummings (1894–1962)
14. Epiphany 2.10
words: Henry Vaughan (1621–1695)

FRANZ XAVIER GRUBER (1787–1863); arr. Stephen Darlington (b. 1952)
words: Josef Mohr (1792–1848), transl. John F. Young (1820–1885)
15. Silent night! Holy night! 3.12

STEVEN GRAHL (b. 1979)
16. O nata lux 2.18

JUDITH WEIR
17. Illuminare, Jerusalem 2.23

FRANCIS POTT (b. 1957)
18. Improvisation on Adeste, fideles 6.19

SPIRITUAL; arr. Robert L. Morris (b. 1941)
19. Glory to the newborn King 2.35

PETER WARLOCK; words: Bruce Blunt (1899–1957)
20. Bethlehem Down 4.36

CHERYL FRANCES-HOAD (b. 1980)
21. Good Day, Sir Christemas! 2.12

Total duration: 68.09

The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Steven Grahl, director
Benjamin Sheen, organ (solo 10, 18)