Geoffrey Burgon: Choral Music

Burgon's strongly distinctive choral writing gets stirring advocacy here. There's plenty of interest, and the two John Donne settings are specially effective. — BBC Music Magazine, June 2013, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 25th Feb 2013
Catalogue No: CDH55421
Label: Helios
Length: 72 minutes

Burgon: At the round earth’s imagined corners

Work length4:49

$1.00

$1.25

Catherine Hart (soprano), Alan Thomas (trumpet), David Bednall (organ)
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Christ's Love

Work length2:39

$1.00

$1.25

Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

I. The Assumption

Track length2:39

$1.00

$1.25

Burgon: Short Mass

Work length10:49

$5.00

$6.25

Catherine Hart (soprano), Frances Henderson (soprano)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

I. Kyrie

Track length2:09

$1.00

$1.25

II. Gloria

Track length3:06

$1.00

$1.25

III. Sanctus

Track length1:25

$1.00

$1.25

IV. Benedictus

Track length1:32

$1.00

$1.25

V. Agnus Dei

Track length2:37

$1.00

$1.25

Burgon: Of flowers and emeralds sheen

Work length5:06

$1.00

$1.25

Catherine Hart (soprano)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Magnificat

Work length4:37

$1.00

$1.25

David Bednall (organ)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Nunc dimittis, 1979 version

Work length3:04

$1.00

$1.25

Alan Thomas (trumpet), David Bednall (organ)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: The First World

Work length5:20

$2.00

$2.50

Richard Rowntree (tenor), Christopher Sheldrake (bass)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

I. As the angels stood

Track length2:06

$1.00

$1.25

II. Apple Blossom

Track length3:14

$1.00

$1.25

Burgon: Christ's Love

Work length4:45

$1.00

$1.25

Frances Henderson (soprano), Léonie Maxwell (soprano), Kevin Beckett (countertenor), Iain MacLeod-Jones (tenor), Christopher Sheldrake (bass)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

II. The Corpus Christi Carol

Track length4:45

$1.00

$1.25

Burgon: The song of the creatures

Work length12:15

$2.05

$2.50

Catherine Hart (soprano), Simon Clulow (countertenor), Richard Rowntree (tenor), David Bednall (organ)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Death be not proud

Work length3:57

$1.00

$1.25

Catherine Hart (soprano), Léonie Maxwell (soprano), Alan Thomas (trumpet), David Bednall (organ)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Come let us pity not the dead

Work length5:14

$1.00

$1.25

Alan Thomas (trumpet), David Bednall (organ)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Te Deum

Work length6:26

$1.00

$1.25

Catherine Hart (soprano), David Bednall (organ)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

Burgon: Nunc dimittis, 1997 version

Work length3:25

$1.00

$1.25

Catherine Hart (soprano), Frances Henderson (soprano)
Wells Cathedral Choir
Matthew Owens

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The thirteen works recorded here range from the contemplative of the Nunc dimittis to the ceremonial of an anthem such as At the round earth’s imagined corners where the familiar Donne text receives a thoroughly fresh interpretation. This is music reaching out to a modern desire for immediate accessibility masking consummate artistry: ‘I can’t believe it’s not Rutter’, perhaps …

Television credits for Geoffrey Burgon include the music for Brideshead Revisited and the pop chart-topping Nunc dimittis (recorded here) which introduced the BBC’s John le Carré adaptation Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in 1979.

But commercial success should not prevent us from recognizing, and appreciating, a depth of invention and mastery of formal conception which might just as well be described as being firmly rooted in the classical tradition, and particularly that of the Anglican Church.

Reviews

June 2013

Burgon's strongly distinctive choral writing gets stirring advocacy here. There's plenty of interest, and the two John Donne settings are specially effective.

The girls and men of Wells Cathedral directed by Matthew Owens give a riveting performance enhanced by the playing of David Bednall and Alan Thomas … in the popular field Burgon presses all the right buttons without risk of compromise

Musically, these performances are all that could be wished for in terms of technical accomplishment

Geoffrey Burgon … has found a niche in contemporary English choral music because he wants to communicate, to write music that people want o
hear… this immensely appealing music is superbly sung by the Wells Cathedral Choir who prove to have excellent soloists. The vivid direction by Matthew Owens is greatly aided by David Bednall’s creative organ contribution and Hyperion’s first-class recording in the cathedral. A disc well worth seeking out

The national soundtrack for the past three decades … Burgon shows what can be done with some simple ideas and a top-flight cathedral choir

Geoffrey Burgon: Choral Music

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