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Music Text

From a 15th-century Canterbury pontifical (L)

Abbreviations (PDF)

Publisher

Boosey & Hawkes

Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the world.

Availability
Digital Score
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World Premiere
21/05/2009
Westminster Cathedral, London
Westminster Cathedral Choir / Martin Baker
Repertoire Note

Choral level of difficulty: 3/4 (5 greatest)

A hugely impressive motet written for the enthronement of the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. Another extensively contrapuntal work this time using MacMillan’s fingerprint ornamental melodic line. There is a wonderfully contrasting homophonic (chordal) section at the point in the text which reads: ‘Blessed be he who has appointed you to rule on the Archbishop’s throne’. This comes complete with ‘coronation mode’ harmony and a Monteverdi-like sweep upwards at the end of the phrase before the ornamental lines resume. MacMillan writes an extraordinary repeated and ever falling series of phrases around the ‘long years in this life’ – so much so that one wonders if there is an element of humour in his treatment of the text. Whatever the real motivation, it is a genuine contrast to the generally high tessitura of the earlier music.

Repertoire Note by Paul Spicer


 

Subjects
Recommended Recording
cd_cover

Who Are These Angels? New Choral Music
Cappella Nova / Alan Tavener
Linn Records CKD 383

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