The choir of Calvary Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, with Alan Lewis, director of music and organist, and Thomas P. Smith organ scholar, perform a varied program of choral music from the Anglican tradition, with some organ solos on the Casavant organ.
Released as a Digital Audio Compact Disc.
$17.98
Out of stock
Details
Format: Digital Audio CD
Label: PRO ORGANO
Catalog Number: CD 7159
Length: 71′ 51″
Tracks: 14
Organ: Casavant
Venue: Calvary Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, PA
Recorded: 05/07/2002
Released: 11/16/2002
Producer: Frederick Hohman
Notes Author: Alan Lewis
Notes Language: English
Graphics Format: 8pp book, traycard, jewel box
UPC #: 63607771592x
Here is a fine program of organ and choral music, making the best use of the glorious Casavant that was installed during Don Wilkins tenure at Calvary. The program opens with the Bruhns Praeludium in G which, like many works of that name at the time, is a wonderful multi-section prelude and fugue. Other organ works on the disc are the Deuxieme Fantaisie of Alain, three verses of the deGrigny Pange Lingua, and the Franck Piece Haroique. (Alan Lewis performs all of the organ selections.) Two hymns are featured: Ye Holy angels bright (in Lewis’s arrangehe church and, in all fairness, is a part of our long Anglican heritage – at least it is sung with kindness and honesty.Here is a fine program of organ and choral music, making the best use of the glorious Casavant that was installed during Don Wilkins tenure at Calvary. The program opens with the Bruhns Praeludium in G which, like many works of that name at the time, is a wonderful multi-section prelude and fugue. Other organ works on the disc are the Deuxieme Fantaisie of Alain, three verses of the deGrigny Pange Lingua, and the Franck Piece Haroique. (Alan Lewis performs all of the organ selections.) Two hymns are featured: Ye Hold angels bright (in Lewis’s arrangement) and Lead me to Calvary. The latter is not, I fear, one of the great hymns of our heritage, but it does fit the name of the church and, in all fairness, is a part of our long Anglican heritage – at least it is sung with kindness and honesty.
The anthems represent a wise selection. From the 20th century we have Anthony Piccolo’s fine “O hear us, Lord” (RSCM) and the superlative “And is there care in heaven” by Stephen Plank (apparently unpublished, but set to a glorious text by the 16-century poet Edmund Spenser). If scores can be made available this work should enter the repertory of every capable parish choir. Some “standards” complete the program: two anthems of Bairstow and the Morning Canticles in B-flat of Stanford.
The choral sound is excellent, though I needed the liner texts to follow all of the words. The organ sound is glorious, and attention to musical detail and understanding is evident throughout. Full texts, brief notes, singers, and the organ stoplist are all included.
– Victor Hill, Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians (November 2005).
