Magnificat 3

Featuring

Andrew Nethsingha
Thomas Butler
George Herbert
Angus Crichton-Stuart
Joshua Davidson
Alastair Austin

Lucas Nair-Grepinet
Alexander Hopkins
Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov
Herbert Howells
Philip Moore
Kenneth Leighton
George Dyson
Charles Villiers Stanford
Bryan George Kelly

Did you know?

1/7

Historical Context

Queen Elizabeth I's personal patronage of composers at the Chapel Royal and support for choral singing led to a "twin-track musical reformation" in England: parish congregational singing and professional cathedral music.

Cultural Impact

The Magnificat, Mary's song of liberation, was banned in Nicaragua during the 1970s revolution due to its powerful sentiments of "putting down the mighty from their seat."

Recording & Production

This album was recorded across two sessions in St John's College Chapel, Cambridge, in January and April 2022, featuring different sets of composers in each session.

Historical Context

The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis texts, originally from the Gospel of Luke, were incorporated into the daily Morning and Evening Prayer services of the post-Reformation English church by Cranmer's prayerbook.

Performer Biography

Andrew Nethsingha, the Director of Music at St John's College, Cambridge for 15 years, moved to a new post as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey in January 2023.

Composer Biography

Pavel Chesnokov, a leading Russian choral musician, gave up composition after the cathedral where he worked was destroyed by Soviet authorities, a decision that seems poignant in light of current events in Ukraine.

Composition History

Bryan Kelly's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in C, based on Latin-American rhythms, was considered bold and daring for an Evensong service in the 1960s, with Herbert Howells joking that the church would need to be reconsecrated after each performance.