The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
The Westminster Abbey Choir is an institution with a history over 500 years long. Westminster Abbey, founded by Edward the Confessor, was consecrated on December 28, 1065, and William the Conqueror became the first British monarch crowned there the following year. Every British ruler since has assumed power there as well, but beyond pomp and circumstance the Abbey has offered daily worship services for nearly a millennium. Integral to those services over much of that period has been the music of the Westminster Abbey Choir. Records of the choir date to the 1479 appointment of William Cornysh as "Master of the Song Scole." By 1540, Henry VIII had fixed the choir's membership at a size of 12 adult male singers (known as Lay Vicars) and ten boy choristers, and these proportions remain in force today.
The choir may be augmented by students of the Westminster Abbey Choir School, the only choir-based educational institution in England; its 36 students either are choir members or are studying in preparation for membership. These young students sing at Evensong six days a week and at three Sunday services. Auditions for boy singers are held when they are eight years old; when they reach age 14, they leave the choir. Some go on to become Lay Vicars, and the demanding musical training the choristers receive has generated illustrious English musical careers ranging from those of Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell to that of David Willcocks.
Royal wedding enthusiasts will have noted the choir's presence at events pertaining to the British monarchy, and in later years, the choir had undertaken concert tours and recording sessions in addition to its official duties. The Westminster Abbey Choir has toured the U.S. four times and has made perhaps two dozen recordings. They are quite a varied lot, some of them (such as The Royal Golden Wedding) capitalizing on public fascination with English pageantry, while others offer a traditionalist sound in the early music repertory (the choir's recording of Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass is a standard) or expertly fill the need for a Christmas tradition that seems to have existed since time immemorial. What the second millennium will bring musically for the Westminster Abbey Choir remains to be seen.
© James Manheim /TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
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The Royal Wedding - The Official Album
The Choir Of Westminster Abbey, James O'Donnell, The Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, Doctor Andrew Grant, London Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green
Classical - Lançado por Decca (UMO) em 01/01/2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Choir of Westminster Abbey - Great Recordings
The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por UME - Global Clearing House em 05/09/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music for Queen Mary: A Celebration of the Life and Death of Queen Mary (Voice)
The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Sony Classical em 04/04/1995
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Christmas Caroll from Westminster Abbey
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/10/2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Coronation Music For King James II
Harry Bicket, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey, The English Concert, Simon Preston
Classical - Lançado por Archiv Produktion em 01/01/1987
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The World of Psalms
The Choir of St John’s Cambridge, George Guest, Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Sir David Willcocks, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey, William McKie
Classical - Lançado por UMSM em 01/01/1997
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The Feast of the Ascension at Westminster Abbey
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/04/2008
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Elgar: Great is the Lord; Te Deum & Other Works
Robert Quinney, James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/02/2007
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Feast of St Peter the Apostle at Westminster Abbey
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 26/07/2010
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Music from the Reign of King James I of England
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 28/02/2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Favourite Christmas Carols
The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Ambient/New Age - Lançado por Pickwick em 01/01/1988
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas at Westminster Abbey
The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. em 01/01/1984
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams, MacMillan & Tavener: Choral Works
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 02/06/2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tye: Missa Euge bone & Western Wynde Mass
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 27/04/2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Byrd: The Great Service & Other Works
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/11/2005
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Feast of St Michael & All Angels at Westminster Abbey
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/09/2007
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mary and Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/10/2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
O Praise the Lord – Restoration Music from Westminster Abbey
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 01/04/2010
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Parry: Jerusalem; I Was Glad; Blest Pair of Sirens etc.
James O'Donnell, Daniel Cook, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 28/08/2015
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music for Remembrance: Duruflé Requiem & Other Works
James O'Donnell, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 28/09/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bairstow, Harris & Stanford: Choral Works
James O'Donnell, Peter Holder, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 03/05/2019
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo