Humfrey: Symphony Anthems

Directing from the organ, Edward Higginbottom proposes that the small chapel at Whitehall lent itself to ‘sacred chamber music’. The contoured madrigalian approach is eminently suitable for the... — Gramophone Magazine, March 2019 More…

Release Date: 1st Jun 2018
Catalogue No: PC10388
Label: Pan Classics
Length: 65 minutes

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Humfrey: The King shall rejoice

Work length10:19

$3.00

$3.85

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

Humfrey: By the waters of Babylon

Work length11:05

$3.00

$3.85

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

Humfrey: Hear my prayer, O God

Work length6:24

$1.00

$1.30

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

Humfrey: O Lord my God

Work length10:22

$3.00

$3.85

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

Humfrey: Hear my crying, O God

Work length10:54

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$3.85

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

Humfrey: Haste Thee O God

Work length7:32

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$2.60

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

Humfrey: Like as the hart

Work length8:44

$2.00

$2.60

Consort of Voices, Instruments of Time and Truth
Edward Higginbottom

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Pelham Humfrey (1647–1674) was a genuine baroque pioneer in the word-setting of English biblical texts, as well as applying elements of French and Italian styles to his work. By the age of seventeen his anthems were evidently in use.

He later succeeded Henry Cooke (his father-in-law) as Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal and also became composer to the Court. Humfrey died at the age of 27, but along with Matthew Locke exerted a strong influence on his peers even at his young age, including William Turner, Henry Purcell, and John Blow.

The seven symphony anthems included on this recording have been selected from the extant 19 to demonstrate Humfrey’s range of work in the genre. The anthems represent his most substantial contribution to English music and show him to be the country’s leading composer of the early Restoration period.

Edward Higginbottom is one of the UK’s leading musicians, with a global reputation for his work as a choral director, established through his directorship of New College Choir Oxford over many years. The newly formed Oxford Consort of Voices is made up of singers largely selected from the alumni of Oxford’s famous collegiate choirs.

Reviews

March 2019

Directing from the organ, Edward Higginbottom proposes that the small chapel at Whitehall lent itself to ‘sacred chamber music’. The contoured madrigalian approach is eminently suitable for the penitential twists in By the waters of Babylon and the plangent F minor harmonies in O Lord my God, why hast thou forsaken me.

13th May 2018

These seven beautifully crafted symphony anthems, interleaving vocal solos and ensembles with string episodes, are intimately sumptuous, as befits the court for which they were created. Higginbottom leads his forces with stylish elegance

4th May 2018

Seven achingly expressive verse anthems, leavened with string interludes and stirring harmonic clashes. The Consort’s singing style might be a tad precious, but that never stops the music from catching fire.

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