I'm delighted to announce a new recording of one my repertoire choral pieces, Praise Him with Trumpets. That is the title of a new Delphian CD by Bristol Choral Society, conducted by Hilary Campbell. My own music (originally written for a rather thin-on-the ground chapel choir) benefits greatly from their big and beefy, but entirely accurate, approach; as does, in my opinion, the opening track, Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb.
A fascinating three-movement item in this collection is a new work, twenty minutes of it, by Grace-Evangeline Mason: A Memory of the Ocean. It's a wonderful piece. In it, the chorus act as a sort of sea surface, above which, vivid foreground details from solo cello and piano fly in from time to time. It's great to hear what a leading composer of the new generation has done with the medium, and that she has embraced it in the first place. Choral societies of the past were absolutely central to the new music of their time - think Mendelssohn, Elgar, Walton - but alas today it's often only the blandest musical styles that we hear sung by our great civic choirs. Not the case in Bristol - and in general, what an interesting musical city it is becoming these days.
Pictured - Bristol's beautiful Royal West of England Academy. Before attending BCS's record launch (held in another interesting structure, All Saints Clifton) we visited RWA's historic exhibition of work by Bristol-born Paule V
