Monday 5 March 2007

Singing their Praises

The Times newspaper on Saturday reviewed the lastest recording by Westminster Cathedral Choir, Palestrina Lamentations. Rating it 5 stars (out of 5), the review reads:

'Westminster Cathedral, London's lofty, neo-Byzantine edifice with its candy-stripe tower and dark, unfinished interior, possessess one of the finest choirs in the world and certainly the best that Roman Catholicism has to offer - the Pope should be proud.

No more evidence is needed than this CD. The boys and men demonstrate faultless intonation and voices strong enough for Palestrina's long graceful phrases. The balance is perfect, the imitative parts a joy to hear with such clarity. The words weep with penitential repetitiveness. With grief such as this, who needs happiness?'
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I like that last line! the recording is available from the Cathedral gift shop, or online from Hyperion records at www.hyperion-records.co.uk

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My copy of this beautiful recording arrived this morning.Many thanks for bringing this to our attention father.

Anonymous said...

It was when I first heard your choir's Christmas recording some years ago that I realized Anglicans did not have a monopoly on beautiful Church music. At least partly as a result, I became enamored of Westminster Cathedral, its music, and its Liturgy to such an extent that I ultimately became a Catholic.

That was in Canada. I now live in Cardiff, and whenever I am in London, try to make the pilgimage to the Cathedral. You have every reason to be proud of your choir, and even more reason to be happy as the Administrator there.

You have my profound gratitude for your ministry.