Bob Chilcott: Canticles of Light

by NFM Choir, Agnieszka Frankow-Zelazny

Overview

Among the British composers contending for the popular crown of John Rutter is certainly Bob Chilcott, whose albums, like this one, are issued under his own name even when music of other composers is involved. Chilcott is a former member of the King's Singers, and he brings that experience to bear in his ability to create lush, expressive choral textures. In Canticles of Light, a collection of secular and sacred pieces on the theme of darkness and light, he combines that ability with a sensitive perception of poetry by Wilfred Owen and Charles Bennett. The centerpiece is Move him into the sun, setting intensely suspenseful texts from Owen's war poems. There are also works by Cecilia McDowall, Francis Pott, and James MacMillan, all cut from the same cloth as Chilcott's music but offering distinctive contrasts. Most recordings of Chilcott have been made by British choirs, but this one is by Poland's National Forum of Music Choir and its director, Agnieszka Frankow-Zelazny, who selected all of the music. The choir has a rich sound that fits the music beautifully; one can tell that the singers are not native speakers of English, but this is not objectionable. Those new to Chilcott will find this an excellent introduction to the considerable virtues of his music. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/06/2023
Label:	Signum Classics
UPC:	0635212072929
Rank:	221991

Tracks

1. Canticles of Light~Te lucis ante terminum
2. Canticles of Light~Christe, qui, splendor et dies
3. Canticles of Light~O nata lux de lumine
4. Move Him Into the Sun~Song of Songs
5. Move Him Into the Sun~Spring Offensive
6. Move Him Into the Sun~Apologia pro Poemate meo
7. Move Him Into the Sun~Futility
8. Move Him Into the Sun~Winter Song
9. Standing al I Do Before God
10. Lament
11. A Child's Prayer
12. Sing the Colour of Peace

Album Credits

Performance Credits

NFM Choir   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Agnieszka Frankow-Zelazny   Primary Artist,Conductor
Members of the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic   Ensemble
Ewelina Wojewoda   Vocals
Dagmara Kolodziej-Gorczyczynska   Soprano (Vocal)
Malgorzata Ciezka-Katnik   Vocals
Aleksandra Turalska   Soprano (Vocal),Vocals
Bianka Maxim   Vocals
Sebastian Mach   Tenor (Vocal)

Technical Credits

George Chukinas   Text Translation
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson   Text
Agnieszka Szczepanczyk   Engineer
Edith Cavell   Text
Jon Stallworthy   Text Editor
James MacMillan   Composer
Sean Street   Text
Bob Chilcott   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes
Lukasz Rajchert   Photography
Wilfred Owen   Text
Cecilia McDowall   Composer
John Bellars   Photography
Francis Pott   Composer
Charles Bennett   Text
Szymon Aleksandrowicz   Photography