The Choir of St. Machar’s Cathedral

Description

This new recording, Praise ye the Lord, presents 20 recent works, mostly written for the cathedral and its choir, in first recordings. The excitement of a dramatic new setting of Psalm 111 by Sir James MacMillan, is matched by the choral resonance of Paul Mealor’s The Firmament of His Power, and a new arrangement of The Beatitudes. The exuberant adaptation of Psalm 9 by ‘Reg’ Barrett Ayres is contrasted by an austere setting of Martyrs by Mike Thomson – a former Organist of the Cathedral. There are new versions of the traditional Scottish Blessing by Anthony White and Psalm 121 by Faith Ockwell, and settings of texts from the Aberdeen Breviary, by American composer Sarah Rimkus, invoke a medieval sound-world. With A Plea for Salvation by Joe Stollery, and music by Roger Williams and Philip Moore, the CD also includes two organ pieces by Phil Cooke and Mike Merrill, which shows the resonance of the fine, historic ‘Father’ Willis organ. The Choir of St Machar’s Cathedral, and Organist Matthew McVey are conducted by the Director of Music, Dr. Roger B. Williams, MBE.