Catalogue

Summary:

In 2006, Edward Higginbottom celebrated 30 years as Director of Music at New College Oxford. During his time there the New College Choir has achieved international recognition and produced over 70 recordings, many of them worldwide best sellers. This release is the first in a trio of CDs exploring 20th-century choral music, grouped thematically by country. The journey begins in France, where we find Poulenc exploring his religious side, not something often associated with the rebellious and often cheeky Parisian. But he did maintain a strong spiritual streak, remarking once that “he’s not as religious as he’d like to be.” His liturgical writing is deeply contemplative and affecting in its simplicity, yet now and again his witty side will emerge. He shares the disc with his contemporaries Messiaen – represented by his only motet O sacrum convivium – and Pierre Villette who had strong links with the English choral tradition. His ambitious six-part piece Attende Domine was dedicated to the choir of Worcester Cathedral.

Tracklist:

FRANCIS POULENC (1899–1963)
1. Salve Regina (5:00)

Quatre petites prières de Saint François d’Assise (7:29)
2. I. Salut, dame Sainte
3. II. Tout puissant, très saint
4. III. Seigneur, je vous en prie
5. IV. O mes très chers frères

6. Exultate Deo (2:58)

OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908–1992)
7. O sacrum convivium (4:46)
David Newsholme, organ

FRANCIS POULENC
8. Quem vidistis pastores dicite (2:30)
9. Videntes stellam (2:49)

PIERRE VILLETTE (1926–1998)
10. Attende Domine, Op. 45 (5:37)

FRANCIS POULENC
11. O magnum mysterium (3:34)
12. Hodie Christus natus est (2.39)

Messe en sol majeur (17:17)
13. I. Kyrie
14. II. Gloria
15. III. Sanctus
16. IV. Benedictus
17. V. Agnus Dei

PIERRE VILLETTE
18. Panis Angelicus, Op. 80 (3:42)
19. Hymne à la Vierge, Op. 24 (4:01)

FRANCIS POULENC
20. Litanies à la Vierge noire (8:09)
Nicholas Wearne, organ

Total duration: 70:30

Recorded 21 – 25 August 2005, L’Abbaye de Saint Michel-en-Thiérache, France
Engineered and Produced by Adrian Hunter