In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Choir of Clare College

Mixed Choral Chorus from Cambridge, UK, England.

Since the founding of a mixed voice choir in 1971, the Choir of Clare College has gained an international reputation as one of the leading university choral groups in the world. In addition to its primary function of leading services three times a week in the College chapel, the choir keeps an active schedule recording, broadcasting, and performing throughout the UK and the world. The choir has been fortunate to have had four very fine directors: Peter Dennison; John Rutter; Timothy Brown; and since 2010, Graham Ross.

The choir has toured widely, including in Europe, the United States of America, Japan, China, Russia, and the Middle East. In 2000 it became the first Oxbridge mixed choir to perform at the BBC Proms, singing Bach's St John Passion. The choir has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in performances of Handel's Jephtha in Spain, Belgium, the UK and the USA under the direction of Rene Jacobs, and again in performances of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito under Edward Gardner, earning praise for 'thrillingly fresh and feisty singing'. Other collaborations have included the Manchester Camerata, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the Schubert Ensemble.

The choir gives frequent performances at many international festivals, including the Potsdam Sanssouci Music, Munich Opera, and Spitalfields Festivals and the Early Music Weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Recent tours have included the United States and Israel, where it performed Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium with the Israel Camerata.

In addition to live performances, the choir has produced an impressive catalogue of recordings. In 1994, it began a major series of CD and video recordings for the Columns Classics label, several of which continue to be broadcast internationally and are now available on DVD. The CD Illumina, an exploration of the theme of light, was runner-up for a Gramophone Award in 2000, earning such comments as 'breath-taking panache', 'the most fervent rendering I have ever heard of Rachmaninov's Nunc Dimittis', and 'one of the most accomplished choral discs of the year'. In 2003 the choir's recording of Rutter's Requiem, produced by the composer on the Naxos label, was awarded Editor's Choice by The Gramophone, CD of the week on Classic FM, gave Naxos its first Number 1 in the classical charts, and in 2005 was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award. In 2008, the choir recorded Ex Maria Virgine , a new Christmas sequence commissioned for the choir from John Tavener, which quickly became one of Naxos' best-selling CDs. Recent releases include Sacred Choral Music, a recording or music by Vaughan Williams, which was hailed as 'exceptional' by BBC Music Magazine and acclaimed for its 'sweeping energy and rich detail' by Classic FM. The choir also regularly contributes to the Choral Evensong broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.

Discography

Displaying 1-5 of 5 items.

Choir of Clare College : Reflection

Review: Reflection celebrates 500 years of music-making in the English Parish Church. Over the centuries, on a daily basis, music has played an enormous role in enhancing the experience of Christian worship. The legacy is a vast body of music in many different styles to be enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike. Reflection focuses on those works of great beauty which provide spiritual nourishment and a place of sanctuary from today's busy lives. Reflection features familiar composers such as Byrd, Tallis, Bach, Mozart and Elgar giving over an hour's music to soothe the soul.

Songlist: Ave verum Corpus, In pace in idipsum, Come, Holy Ghost, O nata lux de lumine, Ave verum, Lord for thy tender mercies sake, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, Ave Maria for 5 voices, O Saviour of the World, Jesus decus angelicum, Thou know'st, Lord, If Ye Love Me, O Taste and See, Ave verum corpus, Panis angelicus, O Vos Omnes, Give alms of thy goods, Never Weather-Beaten Sail for voice, Momento, homo (O Lord, give ear)

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Choir of Clare College : Celebration of the Spirit

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Choir of Clare College : Illumina

Review: The Clare College Choir is a mixed choir of approximately two dozen voices, based at Cambridge, England. Directed by Timothy Brown, who succeeded John Rutter, the scope of the works on this recording comprise over four centuries, from Tallis and Byrd, to that of the Transylvanian-born Gyorgy Ligeti ("Lux Aeterna," 1966). The common element is that of light - hence, "Illumina" - and therefore, each composition directly or indirectly reflects this theme. Several settings of "Hail, Gladdening Light," including that of Charles Wood (1912), part of that great post-Edwardian resurgence of English classical music, are represented, as is Holst, a Wood contemporary, the Romantic Russian Tschaikovsky, and his countryman Rachmaninov. No matter the era of the work, the Choir has a transparent sound, emphasizing controlled dynamics, precise phrasing, and timing that is never impatient or harried.

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Choir of Clare College : Purcell Choral Works

Review: The choral works of Henry Purcell (1659 -95) are sung here with near perfection under the direction of Timothy Brown.

Songlist: Te Deum, Jubilate Deo, My Beloved Spake, O God, Thou Art My God, Lord, How Long Wilt Thou Be Angry, Remember Not, Lord Our Offences, Here My Prayer Oh Lord, Thou Knowest Lord, Funeral March, Man That Is Born Of Women, In The MIdst Of Life, Canzona

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Choir of Clare College : Sweelinck - Cantiones Sacrae

Review: Famous for his keyboard works Sweelinck was also a skilled composer for voices as well, and composed over 250 works for voice (chansons, madrigals, motets and Psalms). Some of Sweelinck's innovations were of profound musical importance, including the fugue-he was the first to write an organ fugue which began simply, with one subject, successively adding texture and complexity until a final climax and resolution, an idea which was perfected at the end of the Baroque era by Bach. This is a world premiere recording of the complete Latin Motets, including the Christmas motet Hodie Christus natus est.

Songlist: Gaudete Omnes, Ecce Virgo Concipet, Magnificat, Hodie Christus Natus Est, Angelius Ad Pastores Ait, Ab Oriente, In Illo Tempore, Hodie Beata Virgo Mariae, Regina Coeli, Omnes, Timor Domini, Non Omnis, Lusti Autem, Baeti Pauperes, Ecce Nunc Benedicte, Euge Serve Bone, Petite Et Accipietis, Vide Homo, Videte MAnus Meas, O Quam Beata Lancea, VEnire Exsultemus Domino, Ubi Duo Vel tres, O Scrum Convivium, Ecce Prandium, In Te Domine Speravi, Tanto Tempore, Viri Galilaei, CAntate Domino, Qui Vult enire Post Me, Diligam Te Domine, and more

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