When David Heard
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THOMAS TOMKINS
When David Heard
Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, Andrew Nethsingha, with Freddie James (organ)
[ Chandos Chaconne / CD ]
Release Date: Wednesday 20 August 2014
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Thomas Tomkins, born in 1572, was one of the most accomplished and versatile English composers of his era. A total mastery of contrapuntal technique and expressive intensity are hallmarks of his style. Here the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, a cornerstone of the great English choral tradition since the 1670s, performs a collection of choral works complemented by several pieces for organ.
Canticles from two of Tomkins's Services are included, the pieces from the complex and ambitious Third Service contrasting with those of the more modest Sixth, indebted to the style of Tomkins's teacher William Byrd.
The four fine verse anthems recorded here reveal the range in Tomkins's expressive capabilities, from the calming pastoral tones of My shepherd is the living Lord to the joyful ebullience of Behold, I bring you glad tidings. Four full anthems are also performed, including the famous When David heard that Absalom was slain, a poignant portrayal of the grief that King David experienced at the death of his son.
This melancholic mood is continued in the best-known of the keyboard works on this disc, 'A Sad Pavan for these distracted times', written for himself to play privately after losing his position as organist of Worcester Cathedral following its destruction in the English Civil War.
"Knowing the kind of life Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656) led, you can understand why his music might sound melancholy. A devoted royalist, he was organist at Worcester Cathedral when it was desecrated by parliamentarians in the civil war, the same year as his wife died and his own house was hit by cannon shot. Still he continued to write music. The anthems here include the famous, poignant "When David heard that Absalom was slain" and the Te Deum and Jubilate from the Third "Great" Service written for the Chapel Royal. These heartfelt works are ideally suited to the open, expressive richness of the St John's, Cambridge choir. "A Sad Pavan for these distracted times" is one of three pieces played by organ scholar Freddie James - a name to watch." (Guardian)
Tracks:
My shepherd is the living Lord
Behold, I bring you glad tidings
Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom
The Heavens Declare
Almighty God, which hast knit together
When David Heard
A sad Pavan for these distracted times
Voluntary in A minor
(MB 28)
Clarifica Me Pater
Jubilate (Third Service)
Te Deum
Magnificat & Nunc dimitis (Sixth Service)
