The Feast of the Ascension at Westminster Abbey

"Whenever you record music like this in a cathedral acoustic, you almost inevitably sacrifice something in specifics of ensemble clarity; but you also gain the impressive sensation of the enormous space that gives the sound its intended larger-than-life presence. You can help matters by choosing the right repertoire, works designed for such spaces, and that's what happens here (the Stanford Caelos ascendit hodie being the most "detail-challenged"--but then, it always is), and you quickly appreciate how the engineers have placed us relative to the choir for the best listening perspective, both for antiphonal passages and for full ensemble with organ. I have to say, though, that if you love the organ, you will have no complaints at all regarding its sound--it's simply awesome!"
(ClassicsToday April 2008 10 artistic /8 sound)

Hyperion is delighted to present this latest CD from The Choir of Westminster Abbey under their inspirational director, James O'Donnell. They continue their exploration of the rich repertoire of the liturgy in its historical context in the Abbey with music for the Feast of the Ascension. Ascension Day is a particular moment of celebration within the annual round of Easter praise and is celebrated in glorious and triumphal language. The works recorded here represent a wide range of the best of liturgical music, starting from the intricate and joyful writing of the sixteenth-century composer Peter Philips and ending with fascinating and appealing pieces by living composers. Along the way are works from the great flowering of English cathedral music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.