While Shepherds Watched: Christmas Music from Parish Churches (English Orpheus 40)

Featuring

Peter Holman
Sally Jackson
Timothy Kenworthy-Brown
Philippa Hyde
Claire Tomlin
Jennie Cassidy

Adrian Peacock
Timothy Roberts
Patrick McCarthy
The Parley of Instruments
Psalmody
Michael Beesly
Anonymous (Christmas)
John Christopher Smith
Pieter Hellendaal
Anonymous
Joseph Key
Samuel Arnold
Thomas Clark of Canterbury
Thomas Jarman
Samuel Wesley
William Matthews (of Nottingham)
Thomas Taylor
John Foster

Did you know?

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Compositional Technique

Country psalmody composers often placed the tune in the tenor voice, expecting it to be doubled at the octave by women or boys, creating rich five-part harmony.

Compositional Technique

Much of the music on this album is known as 'gallery music' because it was performed by groups of voices and instruments in the west galleries of country parish churches.

Recording & Production

The vocal group 'Psalmody' was formed specifically for this recording and consists of professional singers, teachers, and students from the Colchester area.

Historical Context

Christmas was considered a superstition by 17th-century Puritans, who even tried to replace Christmas Day with a fast.

Interpretation

The performers on this recording did not attempt to exactly reconstruct historical performance practices or use regional accents, aiming instead for a style that matches the music's directness and vigor.

Historical Context

Between 1700 and 1782, 'While shepherds watched' was the only Christmas hymn accepted in the Church of England.

Composition History

Amateur choirs were formed in the late 17th century to improve congregational singing, but they eventually silenced the congregations they were meant to support.