O magnum misterium: 20th Century Christmas Carols

Featuring

Libby Crabtree
Stephen Layton
Rebecca Outram
Polyphony
Anonymous
Peter Wishart

Herbert Howells
Richard Rodney Bennett
Kenneth Leighton
Peter Warlock
John Byrt
Anonymous (Traditional)
Sir William Walton

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

The carols on this album, spanning over half a century, are unified by their singability and their roots in the English lyric tradition, influenced by folk-song and plainchant.

Composer Biography

William Walton was the first President of the Peter Warlock Society, founded in 1963, and Richard Rodney Bennett is the current President.

Recording & Production

The plainchant on this recording was prepared by Robert Rice in consultation with Dr Mary Berry.

Historical Context

The virtual ban on Christmas celebration in England during the Civil War (1644-1660) contributed to the near-complete demise of British carols.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The plainchant on this disc is included for purely musical reasons, such as acting as palate-cleansers and blurring the distinction between harmony and monophony, rather than for liturgical authenticity.

Composition History

The plainchant used on this album comes from the English Sarum rite, a medieval modification of the Roman liturgy used at Salisbury Cathedral.

Historical Context

The revival of the 'traditional' carol in the 19th century was influenced by Anglo-Catholicism, scholarly interest in early music, and Victorian enthusiasm for pseudo-medievalism.