This fine album comes from Coventry Cathedral and 1986. It contains a fairly typical program for an English cathedral choir, but is nonetheless notable because it is well performed and recorded despite being issued on a tiny label.
The performers are the St. Michael's Singers and Chamber Choir under the direction of the cathedral's director of music, Paul Wright. The accompanist is organist Timothy Hone.
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| Paul Wright |
The St, Michael's Singers were in residence at the cathedral. (Its formal name is the Cathedral Church of St. Michael.) The ensemble became the Coventry Cathedral Chorus in 2017. Wright directed the chorus for 37 years, and is now Conductor Emeritus.
About Coventry Cathedral
St. Michael's dates from the 14th century, but only became a cathedral upon Coventry becoming a diocese in 1918. The original cathedral structure was nearly obliterated in a 1940 blitz, with only the walls, the spire and a few other features remaining.
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| The ruins of the medieval cathedral, as seen in 1941 |
Coventry was determined to rebuild, and the small firm of Basil Spence won a 1950 design competition. The architect famously proposed keeping the ruins as a garden of remembrance and building a new cathedral perpendicular to the old, joining then with a new entrance.
The work was completed in 1962, and the cathedral consecrated in May. Marking the consecration was the first performance of Benjamin Britten's magnificent
War Requiem, composed for the occasion.
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| Coventry Cathedral today |
The artwork on the facade of the new cathedral is by Jacob Epstein. It depicts St. Michael vanquishing the devil.
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| Jacob Epstein's St. Michael's Victory Over the Devil |
The album cover above shows the cathedral interior, with the huge tapestry of Christ by Graham Sutherland.
The Program
As mentioned, the program is similar to what would be heard on Christmas Eve in such venues as the King's College Chapel. There is a processional ("O Come, O Come Emmanuel") and a recessional ("O Come, All Ye Faithful," with Philip Ledger's superb descant). There are four brief organ interludes - two Bach chorale preludes played by Timothy Hone, then the Cathedral sub-organist, and preludes by William Lloyd Webber on the carols "Noël Nouvellette" and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," played by Wright.
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| The cathedral interior, showing the organ |
The Harrison & Harrison organ is well-known, and its pungent reeds can be heard especially in Tim Hone's performances. He has called it the favorite of all organs he has played. Hone is currently the Music and Liturgy Manager at York Minster.
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| Tim Hone |
Hone's notes on the cover the three unusual choral items on the program: "Three pieces are original settings of seasonal words: 'On This Day' [by Charles Hylton Stewart] is triumphant and festive; 'Here Is the Little Door' [by Herbert Howells] is more intimate and personal; while 'I Sing of a Maiden' [by Lennox Berkeley] seems to breathe the cool, clear air of a winter morn."
Of course, the record also includes the Coventry Carol, which dates from the 16th century and was originally part of a nativity play staged by the city's Guilds.
This is a fine record that reflects well on everyone involved.
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| St. Michael's Singers, 1985; Paul Wright and Tim Hone at front |
