Sunday 7 December 2014

Gentleman of the St Mary's Cathedral Choir Sydney: CD

The Gentlemen of the St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Sydney, under the fine direction of Thomas Wilson have recorded a CD: Mass and Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The recording took place in 2011 and was released earlier this year.


The CD is on the excellent Herald label, which specialises in church music, and is part of the Aid to the Church in Need project. Details of the CD are now online here, here and here. Funnily enough, if you want to hear excerpts of the CD you must go to the Dutch Aid to the Church in Need website "kerkinnood".

I would recommend giving the CD as a Christmas gift. Indeed, despite the main theme being Marian, the Mass IX setting (Cum Iubilo) included on the disk can also double as a Christmastide setting (a perfect way to offset a long polyphonic Kyrie and Gloria is to substitute the Kyrie with that from Mass IX - this also improves the proportion of direct congregational participation).

I bought the CD shortly after its release, from the Cathedral shop. My favourite track is the Victoria Magnificat. The countertenor line is sumptuous indeed. The CD is full to the brim with polyphony and plainchant, beautifully sung and recorded. Highly recommended.