Our Review
Perfection. I Saw Three Ships: Christmas Music from Gloucester Cathedral is the music of angels, the sort of holiday fare that brings tears to my eyes. If you are a sap for great choral music, this album is a "must have" for the 2007 holiday season (and well beyond!).
The magnificent Gloucester Cathedral has existed as a place of worship for nearly 1,000 years (the foundation stone was laid in 1089). History lives here, where King Henry VIII was coronated in the 13th century; in fact, the good king established the predecessor of today's Gloucester Cathedral Choir, a group of 25 choristers/school boys who enjoy generous scholarships to attend the nearby King's School. And speaking of school boys, the cathedral has recently enjoyed a blast of popular culture, serving as a location for filming several "Harry Potter" films. But I digress...
Think about it--superbly trained British boys singing a broad array of (largely) a cappella Christmas fare in an ancient cathedral with outstanding acoustics. The sanctuary has the light reverb that you would expect, as you sit dumbstruck in the first pew, drinking in the historic surroundings and the fantastic aural tapestries. The generous (76 minutes!) program includes lots of old favorites, as well as more stimulating classical pieces, and it is all fully accessible and goosebump-worthy. The recording levels for this CD are relatively low; in other words, you can crank the volume all the way up and not blow out your system (or your ears).
Director Andrew Nethsingha does a top-notch job exacting consistently excellent performances from these young men. The album is uniformly wonderful, and I give I Saw Three Ships my highest recommendation. Bravo!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)
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From the liner notes:
Gloucester Cathedral Choir
Andrew Nethsingha, Director
Robert Houssart, Organ
Trebles: Jonathan Binns, Jamie Conway, Kieron Husain*, Lawrence Keeling, James Lloyd-Smith, Jack Parry, Laurence Pemberton, Huw Thomas, Harry Vernon, Jack Vernon, Ciaran Walshe*, Andries Wantenaar, Fergus Watson, Thomas White
*Head Choristers
Altos: Philip Colls, Sebastian Field, Tim Ingold, Jeremy Kenyon
Tenors: James Atherton, Russell Burton, Nicholas Scott
Basses: Paul Hedley, Nicholas Perfect, Greg Skidmore, Jonathan Coates
Recorded: 19, 20, 24 January & 2 February 2007
Gloucester Cathedral is a charity by Act of Parliament.
More about the Gloucester Cathedral Choir:
Today's choir is the successor to the boys and monks of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter, who sang for daily worship nine centuries ago. The Choir of today stems from that established by Henry VIII in 1539, consisting of 20 choristers (who receive generous scholarships to attend neighbouring King's School), 12 lay clerks and choral scholars.
The Choir takes a major part in the renowned annual Three Choirs Festival, the world's oldest Music Festival, dating back to 1715. This is held in Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford in rotation.
From the Website:
History: God has been worshipped on this site for over 1300 years. The first coronation of King Henry VIII took place here in 1216. King Edward II was buried here in 1327.
Gloucester Cathedral Choir
I Saw Three Ships: Christmas Music from Gloucester Cathedral
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Label: Avie Records
Length: 76 minutes
Genre: Choral
Release: 2007
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Nesciens Mater |
| Ave Maria |
| E'en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come |
| A Spotless Rose |
| There is no rose |
| Virga Jesse |
| Tomorrow shall be my dancing day |
| Tryste Noel |
| The Lamb |
| On Christmas Night |
| Away in a manger |
| I saw three ships |
| A babe is born |
| Silent Night |
| Sleep, Little Jesus, Sleep |
| Noel Nouvelet |
| Torches |
| Bethlehem Down |
| Ding dong merrily on high |
| The Blessed Son of God |
| We wish you a merry Christmas |
| In the bleak midwinter |
| O come, all ye faithful |
| Deck the hall |