Blog Archives

markfromireland

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Veni Domine – YouTube

July 3, 2012

The boys of the Tölzer Knabenchor (Tölz Boys' Choir) directed by Christopher Spallek singing Mendelssohn's 'Veni Domine' at a concert given on June 25^th 2012 in the Kurhaus Bad Tölz – it's an excellent live performance which although it won't knock the Esconania de Montserrat's rendition from my list of favourites I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed. The YouTube video, text, and English translation, are all below the fold. Enjoy :-).

markfromireland

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine – Maîtrise de Nîmes

By markfromireland

July 2, 2012

The Maîtrise de Nîmes directed by Vincent Recolin and accompanied by the Orchestre de Nîmes gave this heartfelt performance of Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine on Friday April 9th 2010. Video, text, and translation, are all below the fold. Enjoy :-).

markfromireland

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

Sunday Playlist: [BBC] Britains Most Fragile Treasure – YouTube

By markfromireland

July 1, 2012

This week's "Sunday Playlist" is another BBC documentary. This week's documentary which focuses on the stained glass found in medieval cathedrals complements last week's documentary about how those cathedrals were built. Enjoy :-).

markfromireland

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

Guy Forbes: : O Nata Lux – Louisville Cardinal Singers

By markfromireland

June 30, 2012

When I decided to set the O Nata Lux text to music, I consciously decided to take a different approach to the text than some composers of late. I focused on the idea of "light born of light" rather than something more akin to the "mystery of birth." The opening material of the piece is therefore, in a sense, a depiction of light breaking upon the world in a vibrant, visible way. The following section, "dinare clemens supplicum," has the melodic material divided between several parts. The idea here is that although we come together to ask God that our praises and prayers be deemed worthy and accepted, we make these requests as individuals. The picture, if you will, is of a group standing before God with each individually making his/her request, but with all echoing the thoughts and prayers of the others. – Guy Forbes.

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

Henry Purcell (1659-1695): Blessed is who whose unrighteousness is forgiven

By markfromireland

June 29, 2012

Henry Purcell - Harding Portrait This week's selection for my series dealing with Purcell's religous music is a sparkling piece of music scored for six voices and choir with two treble lines. Given that one of those treble lines is set rather high and is rather difficult to sing I'm inclined to believe that this is another of Purcell's compositions written with a particular soloist in mind. I wish we knew more about the boy choristers of the Chapel Royal during Purcell's time there, at least some of them were plainly so talented that a musical genius of Purcell's stature felt compelled to write music for them.