Composer: Christopher Wright
Performer: Canticum, Julian Thomas, Mark Forkgen
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Toccata
Catalogue: TOCC0457
Release: 2020
Size: 1.16 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis
01. No. 1, Magnificat
02. No. 2, Nunc dimittis
03. Qui natus est de Virgine
04. The Eternal Star
05. The Crown of Roses
06. A Penitential Prayer
07. Hymn of Salvation
08. In Memoriam
Missa Brevis
09. I. Kyrie
10. II. Gloria
11. III. Sanctus
12. IV. Agnus Dei
13. The Bread of Life
14. Thy Perfect Grace
15. I am come into deep waters
Short Motets
16. No. 3, Prayer for Peace
17. Rejoice in the Lord Always
The English composer Christopher Wright, born in Suffolk in 1954, declares that he is ‘not fettered by fashion, style, ideology or gimmickry or some insatiable desire to be original’; instead, he writes music that aims to communicate directly with the listener – although it can also be thorny and challenging. This first-ever album of his sacred choral music reveals it to be in the British-cathedral tradition of composers like Benjamin Britten, William Mathias, Bernard Rose and Malcolm Williamson: the melodic lines may on occasion be angular and the harmonies sometimes tart, but Wright’s concern with immediacy of expression ensures that the ‘personal prayers’ embodied in these pieces can be readily understood and appreciated.