Rubbra: Nine Tenebrae Motets at Music Hills.com

Magnificat And Nunc Dimittis in A flat, Op.65: Magnificat
Magnificat And Nunc Dimittis in A flat, Op.65: Nunc Dimittis
Missa In Honorem Sancti Dominici, Op.66: Kyrie
Missa In Honorem Sancti Dominici, Op.66: Gloria
Missa In Honorem Sancti Dominici, Op.66: Credo
Missa In Honorem Sancti Dominici, Op.66: Sanctus
Missa In Honorem Sancti Dominici, Op.66: Benedictus
Missa In Honorem Sancti Dominici, Op.66: Agnus Dei
Prld And Fugue On A Theme Of Cyril Scott, Op.69 - Robert Houssart
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - First Nocturn: I. In Monte Oliveti
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - First Nocturn: II. Tristis Est Anima Mea
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - First Nocturn: III. Ecce Vidimus Eum
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - Second Nocturn: I. Amicus Meus
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - Second Nocturn: II. Judas Mercator Pessimus
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - Second Nocturn: III. Unus Ex Discipulis
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - Third Nocturn: I. Eram Quasi Agnus Innocens
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - Third Nocturn: II. Una Hora Non Potuistis
Tenebrae Motets, Op.72 - Third Nocturn: III. Seniores Populi
Meditation, Op.79 - Robert Houssart
Missa Cantuariensis, Op.59: Kyrie
Missa Cantuariensis, Op.59: Credo
Missa Cantuariensis, Op.59: Sanctus
Missa Cantuariensis, Op.59: Benedictus
Missa Cantuariensis, Op.59: Agnus Dei
Missa Cantuariensis, Op.59: Gloria In Excelsis

Music reviews of Rubbra: Nine Tenebrae Motets

Music Review: The Darkness Cannot Comprehend It
Rating: 5 Stars

English choral composers tend to fall into two camps, agnostics who wrote occasional music for Anglican services. Quintessential composers in this group include Vaughn Williams, Walton and Howells. The second group consists of composers of deep religious feeling, often devoted Catholics. Both groups have created moving service and church music out of their differing religious attitudes. Rubbra belongs squarely in the second camp. In the 1940s, after a profound spiritual crisis, Rubbra converted to Roman Catholicism. One of the first results of this decision is the Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici. Written for a capella choir, the work is a beautiful and very personal merging of twentieth century modalism with choral counterpoint directly out of the Renaissance. Rubbra's style is not overly adventurous, but his harmonic sense is sure and unique. The parts are not predictable. His harmony expertly shades the meaning of the text.

The centerpiece of this disc is definitely the Nine Tenebrae Motets. The texts for these works come from the Latin service for Matins on Maundy Thursday. They are divided into three "nocturnes" traditionally. Each nocturne deals with a different aspect of the evening of Holy Thursday. The first describes the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane; the second relates the Betrayal of Judas, and the third details the Trial at Caiaphas' house. Each text in the work is meant to be sung in a service consisting of Gregorian chant, readings and the gradual extinguishing of lighted candles. This is perhaps one of the most dramatic services in the catholic church and Rubbra gives it a special atmosphere. His melodies are graceful and sober and punctuated by lovely harmonic twists. He also plays beautifully with choral textures, pitting solo groups against the whole. One can imagine that in the context of the service this is especially moving music, but even in the concert performance presented here the work is overwhelming.

The rest of the pieces on the disc are also fine. The Missa Cantuariensis is an occasional work for the Cathedral of Canterbury. It's a fine setting of the Ordinary of the Mass in English. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis are fine choral works for the service of Evensong. These are works that should be programmed more frequently in English Evensong services. They are lovely and very effective. The disc is rounded out by two attractive organ works.

Performances on this Naxos disc are uniformly excellent. Though in the past, some of Naxos' English Choral Music series has suffered from intonation problems and badly trained boys in the choir, this disc has one of the great English choirs performing, St. John's College, Cambridge. If they are not as famous as King's College or the Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, they are still every bit as expert in the English choral tradition as those august groups. The recorded sound is spacious and resonant, a must for the repertoire.

This is choral music at it's finest, and perhaps some of the best Lenten music anywhere. It is at once somber and deeply healing music, and the result of a conversion process more sincere and more spiritual than many more public Lenten meditations. This disc should do much to help revive the reputation of this most neglected of English composers.