Monday, September 24, 2007

The Full-bodied Westminster Sound

In the post below about the Westminster Cathedral Choir, some questions and objections were raised regarding both the recording used (it being older and not entirely of Westminster's choir) and also the sound employed by the choir, which one commenter called "shrill."

In response to both of those, I offer this recording of a 2006 concert at the Cathedral in St. Paul, MN which was given by this choir.

About midway through, Choirmaster Martin Baker explains the Westminster sound, which he calls "full-bodied." He also draws distinctions between Westminster and her Church of England counterparts, which I found interesting.

Also worthy of honorable mention is the St. Paul rector's welcome remarks. I found his tour of English Church history to be refreshingly straightforward.

Finally, I'd like to call your attention to one of the pieces on this program, James MacMillan's "A New Song," which is in my opinion a masterful union of tradition, innovation, and the Scottish snap.

This concert is two hours long, but it's worthy every minute.

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