The Canticle of the Sun
The Charles Wood Singers recorded their debut album at the 2021 Festival under the direction of David Hill, with organist Philip Scriven. The album was released in May 2022 and the critical response has been overwhelmingly positive! To purchase your copy of the album, click here.
From Gramophone:
“This splendid album provides a showcase for the talents of 21 singers aged between 18 and 28 brought together for the annual Charles Wood Festival of Music in Armagh, Northern Ireland. David Hill kicks things off with a breezy and bouncing performance of Stanford’s evergreen Magnificat in B flat … Nothing on the album so far, though, can prepare the unsuspecting listener for the glories revealed in a quartet of pieces by Amy Beach (1867-1944) … Wholesome choral passages are juxtaposed with lyrical solo sections … There are too many harmonic delights and other felicities to mention specifically. Safe to say, simply, that it is worth hearing this recording just to fall in love with Beach’s little-known music.”
From Choir and Organ:
“The step-out soloists relish the drama of Beach’s writing, but for me it is the Rolls-Royce choral sound that distinguishes this album; Hill really encourages the voices to flower, singing strongly through long phrases, creating lots of dynamic contrast and responding sensitively both to the music and to the texts. Organist Philip Scriven is an exemplary partner.”
From Organists’ Review:
“The inclusion of works by Stanford and Wood before those by Beach represents canny programming … Many will wish to seize the opportunity to explore choral music by a composer who has been given much exposure recently, including in the 2022 Proms … Would I recommend this disc on account of the Stanford and Wood, the Beach, or the performances themselves? I recommend it warmly for each and all.”
From Laudate:
“This is the first commercial recording by the Charles Wood Singers, a choir of 21, aged between 18 and 28. An excellent début it is, under the expert direction of Dr David Hill … A disc featuring Beach, Stanford and Wood also works well because ‘all three composers show immense sensitivity to word setting [with] vocal lines [that] are grateful to sing’ (Philip Moore’s sleeve note), with varied textures, independent but supportive organ parts and ‘an eye for interesting and unusual texts’ in addition to well-known ones.”