Gary Davison, Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens - The Armour Of Light: The Choral Music Of Gary Davison
STYLE: Choral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 158331-25469 LABEL: Regent REGCD452 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
Gary Davison is organist and choirmaster of Saint Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, Maryland, and maintains an active schedule as a solo and collaborative keyboard artist and particularly enjoys a close musical relationship as a composer with Wells Cathedral. This association would be no bad thing for any composer for under organist and Master of Choristers Matthew Owens Wells Cathedral Choir has become one of the finest in the world. This CD is the first recording entirely devoted to Gary Davison's choral music and all the works are receiving their first commercial recording. As expected the choir do them full justice and the audio quality, courtesy of producer Gary Cole, is equally good. The music can be appreciated on several levels. As a listener I enjoy a good tune and Davison delivers and as a member of a choir (albeit not one of the standard of Wells Cathedral) I am always listening for material I can recommend and again this CD fits the bill. Thomas Campion's "Never Weather-Beaten Sail" is one of my favourite poems and Davison's setting fits it well. "The Palace Garden Canticles", a setting of the traditional Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis is another highlight. The Palace here is not Wells but rather the Governor's Palace at Williamsburg, Virginia. The choir is joined by Simon Jones blowing his trumpet and the combination is excellent. The Wells Service was written for Matthew Owens and the Vicars Choral of Wells Cathedral. The Te Deum dates back to the seventh century Antiphony of Bangor from Northern Ireland and contrasts well with the lively Jubilate Deo. Davison knows his history and is able to make his contemporary work sit securely within the Anglican choral tradition. Listeners who appreciate this genre will find much to enjoy in this collection.
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