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David Skinner|These Distracted Times

These Distracted Times

Thomas Tomkins

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Thomas Tomkins is a Renaissance-era English composer best known for his keyboard works such as Pavan for These Distracted Times and choral music such as The Great Service and his Funeral Sentences. Tomkins lived in distracted times indeed; in 1649, the head of his beloved monarch, Charles I, came down upon a pile of straw with a headsman's single stroke, and Tomkins' mournful Pavan has forever associated his music with the ill-fated regent. The not numerous single discs devoted to Tomkins' music often feature one of the many portraits of Charles I on the cover, but English label Obsidian -- not to be confused with the Australian black metal label of the same name -- breaks precedent with its Thomas Tomkins: These Distracted Times in using a picture of Oliver Cromwell -- the bad guy in Tomkins' view -- on its front. This disc features the vocal group Alamire -- the main, in-house artist at Obsidian -- serving as soloists in the vocal works and backed by the Choir of Sidney Sussex, Cambridge, as led by David Skinner. To provide passages of purely instrumental music between vocal pieces, the eminent viol consort Fretwork pitches in some pavans and the famous one is played by organist Jamal Sutton.
As a single-disc survey of Tomkins' music, this is very good, although the very sobriety of the album as a whole works against it at times; even pieces that are "happy" sound sad. Alamire's bass Robert MacDonald beautifully delivers the low voice incipits at the beginnings of certain anthems, but the Choir of Sidney Sussex -- though again, very good -- is an ordinary church choir; it lacks the pure tone and transcendence of the best early music vocal groups. Admittedly, the choir's slightly unfocused tone is probably more stylistically appropriate medium for Tomkins music anyway, and those attuned to more common forms of choral singing will find this aspect no barrier. However, the unleavened feeling of grief that pervades the whole album makes it a bit of a tough go, and it is better taken in smaller doses. That said, Thomas Tomkins: These Distracted Times is an extremely promising release from the new company; in terms of production and packaging, it has just about everything right, and this definitely gives listeners devoted to early music something to look forward to in terms of its productions.

© TiVo

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These Distracted Times

David Skinner

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Pavan No. 1 (Thomas Tomkins)

1
Pavan No. 1
00:03:16

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom (Thomas Tomkins)

2
Almighty God, the Fountain of All Wisdom
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:05:25

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Hear My Prayer, O Lord, & With Thine Ears (Thomas Tomkins)

3
Hear My Prayer, O Lord, & With Thine Ears
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:04:29

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

The heavens declare (Thomas Tomkins)

4
The Heavens Declare
Jamal Sutton
00:02:58

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

The 5th Service (Thomas Tomkins)

5
Te Deum
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:07:38

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

A Fancy (Thomas Tomkins)

6
A Fancy
00:03:12

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

The 5th Service (Thomas Tomkins)

7
Jubilate
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:05:09

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

O Lord, How Manifold Are Thy Works (Thomas Tomkins)

8
O Lord, How Manifold Are Thy Works
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:01:57

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Pavan No. 7 (Thomas Tomkins)

9
Pavan No. 7
00:03:37

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

I heard a voice from heaven (Thomas Tomkins)

10
I Heard a Voice from Heaven
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:01:49

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

The 5th Service (Thomas Tomkins)

11
Magnificat
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:05:27

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Pavan "For These Distracted Times" (Thomas Tomkins)

12
Pavan "For These Distracted Times"
00:03:09

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

The 5th Service (Thomas Tomkins)

13
Nunc dimittis
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:02:51

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Pavan No. 8 (Thomas Tomkins)

14
Pavan No. 8
00:03:38

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Remember me, O Lord (Thomas Tomkins)

15
Remember Me, O Lord
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:02:40

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

When David Heard (Thomas Tomkins)

16
When David Heard
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:04:00

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

I will lift up mine eyes (Thomas Tomkins)

17
I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes
Sidney Sussex College Choir, Cambridge
00:04:55

Choir of Sidney Sussex College - Fretwork - Alamire - David Skinner, conductor

2007 Obsidian 2007 Obsidian

Album review

Thomas Tomkins is a Renaissance-era English composer best known for his keyboard works such as Pavan for These Distracted Times and choral music such as The Great Service and his Funeral Sentences. Tomkins lived in distracted times indeed; in 1649, the head of his beloved monarch, Charles I, came down upon a pile of straw with a headsman's single stroke, and Tomkins' mournful Pavan has forever associated his music with the ill-fated regent. The not numerous single discs devoted to Tomkins' music often feature one of the many portraits of Charles I on the cover, but English label Obsidian -- not to be confused with the Australian black metal label of the same name -- breaks precedent with its Thomas Tomkins: These Distracted Times in using a picture of Oliver Cromwell -- the bad guy in Tomkins' view -- on its front. This disc features the vocal group Alamire -- the main, in-house artist at Obsidian -- serving as soloists in the vocal works and backed by the Choir of Sidney Sussex, Cambridge, as led by David Skinner. To provide passages of purely instrumental music between vocal pieces, the eminent viol consort Fretwork pitches in some pavans and the famous one is played by organist Jamal Sutton.
As a single-disc survey of Tomkins' music, this is very good, although the very sobriety of the album as a whole works against it at times; even pieces that are "happy" sound sad. Alamire's bass Robert MacDonald beautifully delivers the low voice incipits at the beginnings of certain anthems, but the Choir of Sidney Sussex -- though again, very good -- is an ordinary church choir; it lacks the pure tone and transcendence of the best early music vocal groups. Admittedly, the choir's slightly unfocused tone is probably more stylistically appropriate medium for Tomkins music anyway, and those attuned to more common forms of choral singing will find this aspect no barrier. However, the unleavened feeling of grief that pervades the whole album makes it a bit of a tough go, and it is better taken in smaller doses. That said, Thomas Tomkins: These Distracted Times is an extremely promising release from the new company; in terms of production and packaging, it has just about everything right, and this definitely gives listeners devoted to early music something to look forward to in terms of its productions.

© TiVo

Details of original recording : 66:54 - DDD - Enregistré du 11 au 14 juin 2007 en la chapelle du Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge - Notes et textes chantés en anglais

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