Christmas Vespers at Westminster Cathedral [Import]

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (Composer), Plainchant Chant (Composer), Gregorian Chant (Composer), Matthew Martin (Composer), Thomas [Composer] Tallis (Composer), Tomas Luis de Victoria (Composer), Heinrich Schutz (Composer), Jean Langlais (Composer), Ian Aitkenhead (Performer), Matthew Martin (Performer), Nicholas Mulroy (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ian Aitkenhead, Matthew Martin, Nicholas Mulroy
• Composer: Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Plainchant Chant, Gregorian Chant, Matthew Martin, Thomas [Composer] Tallis, et al.
• Audio CD (November 14, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B000I8OIGG
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,403 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Gaude Et Laetare

2. Deus In Adiutorium

3. Psalm Antiphon

4. Dixit Dominus

5. Rex Pacificus Magnificatus Est

6. Organ Improvisation

7. Magnifcatus Est Rex Pacificus Super Omnes Reges Universae Terrae

8. Confitebor Tibi

9. Magnificatus Est Rex Pacificus

10. Organ Improvisation

11. Completi Sunt Dies Mariae, Ut Pareret Filium Suum Primogenitum

12. Beatus Vir

13. Completi Sunt Dies Mariae

14. Organ Improvisation

15. Psalm Antiphon

16. Laudate Pueri

17. Scitote Quia Prope Est Regnum Dei

18. Organ Improvisation

19. Levate Capitva Vestra: Ecce Apprpinquabit Redemptio Vestra

20. Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes

See all 36 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous!, November 24, 2006

By 

D. Lamoureux (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christmas Vespers at Westminster Cathedral (Audio CD)

The Westminster Cathedral Choir does consistently fine work: one can always depend on their precision, musicality and good taste. Their sound is bright and forward, more like a French choral sound than the usually darker English sound. The lush, reverberant acoustics of the cathedral are a joy, particularly when the organ is used.

This is such a beautiful CD; it was just released this month. Here is Roman Catholic liturgy at its finest. You can't listen to this prayerful music, so beautifully sung, and not lament the Church's widespread misunderstanding of the Vatican II liturgy directives, which stated that Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony and the use of the organ should continue to have "pride of place" in the reformed Roman liturgy. Instead, in our zeal to be contemporary, which is a legitimate concern, we have succeeded in cutting ourselves off from centuries of our tradition, and we are the poorer for it.

And so this recording is all the more precious. I think what I enjoy the most here is not the polyphonic motets, which are lovely but which can be found elsewhere. It's the chanted psalmody, especially since chant in the Liturgy of the Hours is relatively under-recorded, compared to the flowering of recordings of chant in the Mass. The beauty of Westminster's chant touches us, as it moves along at a reflective, unhurried pace. It's accompanied by the organ, which is not authentic, but for many of us it's a guilty pleasure, and it's very well done here. The organ also comments on the psalmody in brief improvisations which are a pleasure in themselves.

Five stars aren't really enough to give justice to this fine recording. I can't recommend it highly enough.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the price for the 'Christe redemptor omnium' alone, December 25, 2010

By 

Alcuin Reid (Fréjus-Toulon, France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christmas Vespers at Westminster Cathedral (Audio CD)

The choir of Westminster Cathedral righlty enjoy their reputation as world class liturgical musicians and their current Master, Martin Baker, has continued and augmented the tradition of musical and liturgical excellence for which his choir is renown.

This disk is not new, but revisiting it at Christmas each year is a pure joy. Whilst it is something of a liturgical melange between the older Roman rite of Vespers and the monastic rite, and is probably not a recording of Vespers as ever celebrated at Westminster Cathedral, it collects the finest elements of the tradition and and arranges them in a liturgical order - which makes for a beautiful CD exsquisitely rendered. Without doubt it is worth its price for the recording of the Christmas Vesper hymn 'Christe redemptor omnium' alone, but there is much here for those who love the chant and the liturgy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Making a joyful noise to the Lord!, January 9, 2011

By 

Mark the Lesser - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Christmas Vespers at Westminster Cathedral (Audio CD)

The Westminster Cathedral choir is renown & every recording I have of theirs seems better than the next. This collection of sung Vespers for Christmas is simply glorious. The mixture of mens' & boys' voices is outstanding, as is the mix of Gregorian chant with polyphonic music. The amazing pipe organ pieces were an unexpected bonus. A wonderful way to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. I may give this as a Christmas gift to my fellow choristers next year.