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This Christmas recording features the Choir of Men and Boys at the National Cathedral. Traditional anthems, congregational singing and organ solos combine in the Gothic cathedral's acoustical cavern to create a recording of distinctive beauty.
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and to read the booklet.
If you walk into Grace Cathedral and look up, you will see something quite unusual. The arches of the Gothic vaulting are present, but there is no ceiling between the arches. Barely visible is the underside of the roof, painted black. The illusion is of a Gothic structure without obstruction between it and the heavens. The choir of men and boys creates a similar effect in sound with this program of music from our own times—close your eyes and experience The Worlds Above from Grace Cathedral!
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Large-scale Bach works are featured here on a large organ in one of the largest churches in the hemisphere. Grand!
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Double-click on the album cover art to see a complete track list.
Given the emphasis our culture places on Christmas, it is easy to forget Epiphany on January 6. It is, however, a feast with its own music and character. The superb choir of men and boys perform a complete liturgy of choral Evensong for Epiphany, with prayers, readings, and music.
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Franck and Widor established French Romantic organ work. Franck's Grande pièce symphonique was the first to use the term "symphony"; Widor's fifth symphony is perhaps the most famous work of the genre, and concludes with his ever-popular Toccata. The works of both composers are well-suited to the grand, Gothic space of the National Cathedral.
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This is our most popular hymn CD. Great hymns from the broad church tradition sung by a large choir in a monumental space with a large organ. You will be singing along—guaranteed! Includes "Ye watchers and ye holy ones," "A mighty fortress is our God," "O sacred head," "All glory, laud and honor," "Abide with me," "Rock of Ages" and many other favorites.
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Frederick Swann plays the world's largest church organ!The first organ was built by E. M. Skinner for the chancel of the church. In 1969 a new and larger instrument was built in the rear gallery by the Schlicker Organ Company, who also constructed an Italian-style continuo organ located above the south choir. All the organs can be played from either or both of the two consoles, one in the chancel, the other in the rear gallery, creating a single instrument of great size, containing divisions of contrasting styles.
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Recorded in 2000, "Music for Advent" is a program of nineteen hymns, carols and organ works for Advent and includes the Matin Responsory adapted from Palestrina (which opens many an Advent service in Anglican churches around the world), the hymn "Creator of the stars of night," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," and Bach's "Wachet auf!" for organ.
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One of the Bay area's leading brass ensembles teams up with John Fenstermaker on the Grace Cathedral organ for a program that fills the Gothic space with sounds of Christmas. A sonic spectacular!
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British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams is known for his choral anthems and large-scale works, but he was also responsible for selecting the tunes fo the 1906 version of The English Hymnal. He wrote some tunes himself, such as Down Ampney (Come done, O love Divine) and Sine Nomine (For All the Saints), and arranged some 40 English folksongs. The result was a substantial and lasting contribution to 20th-century hymnody, which is celebrated in this recording.
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The Washington National Cathedral Choral Society follows their best-selling first volume of great hymns. Booklet contains notes on the history of each hymn and texts. Includes "In the bleak midwinter," "Rejoice, ye pure in Heart!," "Come down, O Love divine,":All my hope on God is founded," and "Lord of all hopefulness" among many others.
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The former principal organist of Grace Cathedral, Susan Jane Matthews presents the first recording of the cathedral's Æolian-Skinner organ in more than ten years. With a program of well-known English, French, and American works, Matthews demonstrates the wide variety of sounds possible from this landmark instrument, set in the acoustics of one of America's most grand, neo-Gothic spaces.
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The neo-Gothic First Congregational Church of Los Angeles is home to the world’s largest church organ. The instrument known as “The Great Organs of First Church“ is, quite simply, one of the wonders of the musical world. Its size is only one aspect of its uniqueness: one must add its spatial distribution around the building, the variety of its components and the tonal balance of the whole---and one could also add the story of its gradual evolution. The new organist of the church, David Goode, puts this instrument through its paces with a highly varied program ranging from Frescobaldi to Gershwin.
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Known for their best-selling CD series, "Hymns through the Centuries," the Cathedral Choral Society presents a new program of Christmas works in the spacious acoustics of the Washington National Cathedral. Includes carols with instrumental accompaniment and solo works for carillon, brass, and organ.
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The definitive recording of the magnificent Aeolian-Skinner at St. John the Divine! Dimmock shows the genius of tonal design with this instrument and uses the acoustics of the world’s largest gothic cathedral to best advantage. Also includes the only piece which Langlais wrote for St. John the Divine’s organ and its State Trumpet. The piece is dedicated to Mr. Dimmock.
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This recording brings together a splendid tapestry of music from the Franco-Belgian tradition, including traditional Gregorian chant, monody from the Notre Dame Conductus which flourished in Paris circa 1200, and the medieval "Messe de Tournai." This music is paired with the excerpts from the Pentecost Mass for organ by Olivier Messiaen, the 20th century Roman Catholic mystic; also Messiaen's choral motet, "O Sacrum Convivium," and music from the Cathedral's 53-bell carillon.
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Music from Organists and Choirmasters at the Washington National Cathedral from 1907 to 2007.
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Douglas Cleveland plays in this first recording of the newly renovated1928 E. M. Skinner organ of Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago. With the new renovation by Schantz, and a new opening for tonal egress, the organ now speaks more persuasively into the room. This is the instrument that Marcel Dupré used to teach his American students in the 1950s.
Cleveland plays French and English music of the era, plus two new works dedicated to him.
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One of Boston's premier choirs, The Copley Singers draw from British and American traditions with both unusual and familiar arrangements of holiday favorites.
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