Vaughan Williams, MacMillan & Tavener: Choral Works
7/28/2023, 17 Tracks, 1:12:17
Featuring
James O'Donnell
Peter Holder
Westminster Abbey Choir
Ralph Vaughan Williams
James MacMillan
John Tavener
Did you know?
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Composition History
Vaughan Williams's anthem 'O taste and see' was commissioned for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and was first sung at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.
Composition History
Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor was commissioned by Richard Runciman Terry, the first director of music at the newly constructed Westminster Cathedral, after Vaughan Williams returned from soldiering in the First World War.
Composition History
Sir James MacMillan's 'A special appeal' is described by the composer as a 'mini sacred opera' commemorating Óscar Romero, the Salvadorean prelate assassinated in 1980.
Composition History
Sir James MacMillan's 'What man is he that feareth the Lord?' was commissioned for a service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of William Cecil, Lord Burghley.
Compositional Technique
Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor incorporates elements of sixteenth-century imitative counterpoint and modality, Venetian antiphony, and florid polyphony reminiscent of the Eton Choirbook.
Composition History
Sir James MacMillan's anthem 'Who shall separate us?' was commissioned for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022, and was sung at the end of the service.
Cultural Impact
Sir John Tavener's 'Song for Athene' became widely known after being sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997.
