St Paul's Cathedral Choir; Huw Williams, organ; John Scott, conductor
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning / When Jesus our Lord / Praise our Lord, all ye Gentiles / Coventry Carol / Omnes de Saba venien / Tribus miraculis / Epiphany / The Three Kings / Lo! Star-led chiefs / From the rising of the sun / Ascribe unto the Lord / Here is the little door / When to the temple Mary went / The growing limbs of God the Son / Senex puerum portabat / Nunc dimittis H127 / O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Hyperion's long series of St Paul's recordings is graced by an addition dedicated to music for Epiphany, a companion disc to Advent at St Paul's. In the Christian Church year, Epiphany is the period after Christmas commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the Magi, celebrated on 6 January. The programme embraces music from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, from Bach to Bingham, and includes many long-established favourites by Wesley, Cornelius, Howells and others. 'Hurrah for John Scott and St Paul's, who with this wonderful CD remind all how glorious the Epiphany repertoire is ... every piece is approached as if it were the finest thing ever written, and joy is taken in rendering the simple beautiful ... let us rejoice at the richness of this programme' (Organists' Review) 'Luminous with a sense of goodness and well-being, brightest and best of choral records for the last many months ... a distinguished record' (Gramophone) 'This series is the richest treasure trove an Anglican musician or English choral buff could hope to find. Texts and notes are an Anglophile's dream. Sound is stunningly rich and ringing' (American Record Guide) 'Fascinatingly diverse anthology ... a tonal brightness and rhythmic vitality that sparkle with festive brilliance' (BBC Music Magazine) 'The eclectic and thoughtful repertoire mix make for compelling listening ... warmly recommended' (Classic FM Magazine) 'The choral tone is pleasant, the soloists are well chosen, and the recorded balance keeps everything in perspective' (Fanfare, USA) EDITOR'S CHOICE (ORGANISTS' REVIEW) EDITOR'S CHOICE (CATHEDRAL MUSIC)
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