One Equal Music, is a programme of British and American unaccompanied works written between 1905 and 1994. Most are written in 8 parts, some for double choir, and they all have one thing in common, a rich and lush texture of multi-part choral writing.
Charles Villiers Stanford’s 3 Motets Justorum Animae, Coelos Ascendit Hodie and Beati Quorum Via start the programme followed by two wonderful works by William Walton, Drop, drop slow tears and Set me as a seal. Samuel Barber’s justly popular Agnus Dei, a transcription of his famous Adagio for Strings, ends the first part of the concert. Morten Lauridsen’s, O Magnum Mysterium, a big favourite with choirs since its composition in 1994, starts the second half of our programme. There then follows a curiosity by Edward Elgar. They are at rest was written for the ninth anniversary of Queen Victoria’s death in 1910, and was first performed at the Frogmore Royal Mausoleum. William Harris’s two great double choir anthems Faire is the Heaven and Bring us, O Lord are favourites with the great Anglican choral foundations and Herbert Howells’ two early and highly original motets Salve Regina and Regina Coeli were written for Westminster Cathedral. The programme ends with Gustav Holst’s wonderful Nunc Dimittis.
I sang many of these great works in my choral days. I am sure you will enjoy them!
Roderick Earle