アドヴェント・ライヴ Vol.3

ケンブリッジ・セント・ジョンズ・カレッジ合唱団、
アドヴェント・ライヴの第3弾!

1670年代から礼拝での役目を担うなど歴史と伝統を誇り、現在では世界屈指のカレッジ聖歌隊として知られるケンブリッジ・セント・ジョンズ・カレッジ合唱団(聖歌隊)と、2007年の音楽監督就任後、数多くの名演を共に創り上げてきたアンドルー・ネスシンガ。「アドヴェント」とは、クリスマス(イエス・キリストの降誕)を待ち望む期間のことで、この時期に歌われる作品を集めた「アドヴェント・ライヴ・シリーズ」の第3弾!6世紀頃にはすでに歌われていた作品から、現代作曲家の作品まで幅広く収録されており、ケンブリッジ・セント・ジョンズ・カレッジ合唱団のために書かれた作品も3曲収録されています。
東京エムプラス

This 2023 release is the third in a series devoted to live Advent recordings by the Choir of St. Johns College, Cambridge, over the past decade. In some ways, it offers more of what was heard on the first two, and its appearance on classical best-seller charts during the 2023 holiday season suggests that listeners are getting what they want. There is a good mix of traditional, contemporary, and newly commissioned pieces, with Bach organ works as interludes. This has an intriguing effect that jolts the proceedings out of the usual realm of peak Britishness and casts a contrapuntal perspective over much of the music. Yet, there are some factors that make this third volume unique. For one, these recordings were taken from services held between 2020 and 2022 and were thus affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 recordings occurred under severe social distancing rules, and in 2021, director Andrew Nethsingha himself was stricken; organist George Herbert stepped in at short notice. By 2022, Nethsingha had agreed to take up a new post at Westminster Abbey, making the proceedings into a swan song. There is perhaps a certain enthusiasm in the singing of the young choristers, but as for the COVID restrictions, it is hard to hear in the finished product; the engineering of Dave Rowell smooths out any rough spots and creates an appealingly direct sound that doesnt shy from a bit of clanking in the organ. Some of the pieces seem relevant to the upcoming coronation of King Charles, and there are some standout individual works like Judith Weirs Drop Down, Ye Heavens, from Above. In multiple ways, even those who already have the first two releases in the Choirs series will find this a fresh take on the English holiday season in music. ~ James Manheim