Westminster Cathedral Choir
WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR is widely considered to be one of the finest choirs in the world.
The establishment of a fine choral foundation was part of the original vision of the founder of Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. Vaughan laid great emphasis on the beauty and integrity of the new Cathedral's liturgy and music, and realised that a residential choir school for the boy choristers was essential to the realisation of his vision. Daily sung Masses and Offices were immediately established when the Cathedral opened in 1903, and have continued without interruption ever since. Today, Westminster Cathedral Choir is the only professional Catholic choir in the world to sing a daily Mass.
Richard Runciman Terry, the Cathedral's first Master of Music, proved to be an inspired choice. Terry was both a brilliant choir trainer and a pioneering scholar, one of the first musicologists to revive the great works of the English and Continental Renaissance composers. Terry built Westminster Cathedral Choir's reputation on performances of music - by Byrd, Tallis, Taverner, Palestrina and Victoria, among others - that had not been heard since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and Mass at the Cathedral was soon attended by inquisitive musicians as well as the faithful. The performance of great Renaissance masses and motets in their proper liturgical context remains the cornerstone of the choir's activity.
George Malcolm consolidated the musical reputation of Westminster Cathedral Choir during his time as Master of Music - in particular through the now legendary recording of Victoria's Tenebrae Responsories. More recent holders of the post have included Colin Mawby, Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and James O'Donnell. The choir continues to thrive under the current Master of Music, Martin Baker, who has held the post since February 2000.
In addition to its performances of Renaissance masterpieces, Westminster Cathedral Choir has given many first performances of music written especially for it by contemporary composers. Terry gave the premieres of music by Vaughan Williams (whose Mass in G minor received its first public performance at a Mass in the Cathedral), Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells and Charles Wood; in 1959 Benjamin Britten wrote his Missa brevis for the choristers; and since 1960 works by Lennox Berkeley, William Mathias, Colin Mawby and Francis Grier have been added to the repertoire. Most recently three new Masses - by Roxanna Panufnik, James MacMillan and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies - have been performed and recorded by the choir.
Westminster Cathedral Choir made its first acoustic recording in 1907. Many more have followed, most recently the acclaimed series on the Hyperion label, and many awards have been conferred on the choir's recordings. Of these the most prestigious are the 1998 Gramophone Awards for both 'Best Choral Recording of the Year' and 'Record of the Year', for the performance of Martin's Mass for Double Choir and Pizzetti's Requiem. It is the only cathedral choir to have won in either of these categories.
The choir's most recent recordings include two discs of Palestrina on the Hyperion label - the Missa Hodie Christus natus est with motets for Advent and Christmas, and the Missa Dum complerentur with Pentecost motets and plainchant. In addition, the choir has recently recorded a complete Mass for Easter Sunday, on the Herald label.
When its duties at the Cathedral permit, the choir also gives concert performances both at home and abroad. It has appeared at many important festivals, including Aldeburgh, Salzburg, Copenhagen, Bremen and Spitalfields. It has appeared in many of the major concert halls of Britain, including the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. The Cathedral Choir also broadcasts frequently on radio and television; recent transmissions include the live broadcast of Midnight Mass for BBC Television in 2001.
Westminster Cathedral Choir has recently undertaken a number of successful international tours, including visits to Hungary and the USA. The choristers participated in last year's International Gregorian Chant Festival in Watou, Belgium and the full choir undertook a tour of Germany in September. This year's engagements include two performances at the Oslo International Church Music Festival.
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Victoria: Ave regina caelorum & Other Sacred Music
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 1 oct. 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maxwell Davies: Mass; Missa parvula & Other Choral Works
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Robert Quinney, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 8 juin 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peaceful Christmas, Vol. 2
Ambiance - Paru chez Snowy Christmas Records le 26 oct. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Francisco de Peñalosa: Masses
Westminster Cathedral Choir, James O'Donnell
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 1 mars 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Victoria: Missa Dum complerentur & Other Sacred Music
Westminster Cathedral Choir, James O'Donnell
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 1 oct. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Palestrina: Lamentations for Easter, Book 3
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 1 mars 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MacMillan: Tenebrae Responsories & Other Choral Works
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 3 juin 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mortuus est Philippus Rex: Music for the Life & Death of the Spanish King
Westminster Cathedral Choir, James O'Donnell
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 1 sept. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Palestrina: Missa Dum complerentur & Other Music for Whitsuntide
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 1 janv. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G Minor – Bingham: Mass
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 2 mai 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Alonso Lobo: Lamentations & Other Sacred Music
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 27 mai 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miserere: A Sequence of Music for Lent, St Joseph & the Annunciation
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 30 déc. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Resurrexit: The Complete Easter Sunday Mass from Westminster Cathedral (Live)
Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker, Robert Quinney
Classique - Paru chez Herald le 3 mars 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Of Christmas, Vol. 1
Musiques de Noël - Paru chez Snowy Christmas Records le 1 nov. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peaceful Christmas, Vol. 3
Westminster Cathedral Choir, James O'Donell
Ambiance - Paru chez Snowy Christmas Records le 26 oct. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peaceful Christmas, Vol. 3
Westminster Cathedral Choir and James O' Donell
Ambiance - Paru chez White Christmas Records le 26 oct. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Of Christmas, Vol. 2
Musiques de Noël - Paru chez White Christmas Records le 1 nov. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peaceful Christmas, Vol. 1
Ambiance - Paru chez White Christmas Records le 26 oct. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Of Christmas, Vol. 1
Musiques de Noël - Paru chez White Christmas Records le 1 nov. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peaceful Christmas, Vol. 2
Ambiance - Paru chez White Christmas Records le 26 oct. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo