At the end of May, Westminster Cathedral Choir made a pilgrimage to Buckfast Abbey in Devon to make their first record under Master of Music, Simon Johnson.
The new disc takes in a sequence of music for the Easter Vigil, a dramatic liturgy which flows from darkness to light on the evening of Holy Saturday. Featuring polyphonic works by Palestrina, Victoria and Monteverdi, the album also includes several pieces by contemporary musicians associated with the music of the Cathedral, including Matthew Martin, Andrew Reid and Martin Baker, several of which receive their premiere recordings. The sequence is punctuated by Gregorian chants for the season of Easter, and closes with the electrifying organ piece, Incantation pour un jour saint by Jean Langlais, which draws together a number of the plainsong themes heard on the disc.
Matthew Searles, Executive Producer, said:
‘It was a great privilege to host Westminster Cathedral Choir at Buckfast again, to make their second recording for Ad Fontes. This world-class and distinctive choir is the jewel in the crown of Catholic music-making, and they sound as superb as ever’.
The new album will be released on Buckfast’s in-house record label, Ad Fontes, in the Spring next year timed to coincide with the Easter Triduum, and will be available to purchase from the usual outlets, and stream via Apple Music and Spotify.
