EDWARD ELGAR (1857-1934): Music for Chorus and Orchestra - Ecce sacerdos magnus, Te Deum and Benedictus, Op. 34/1-2, O Hearken Thou, Op. 64, Great is the Lord, Op. 67, Give unto the Lord, op. 74, Spanish Serenade, Op. 23, Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands, Op. 27.

Description: Spanning 26 years – from the imposing setting of Ecce sacerdos magnus in 1888 to the richly realized psalm settings of the 1910s, it is possible to chart in these often moving, occasionally monumental works the development of Elgar’s prowess in setting the voice. The muscular and poetic Op. 34 and consoling O Hearken Thou are heard alongside two contrasted psalms – the mighty Great is the Lord and bold and vigorous Give unto the Lord – that have become cornerstones of the English choral tradition. Two sunny, secular works show Elgar balancing delicacy and deliberateness with consummate skill. Based on a play by Longfellow, the Iberian-accented Spanish Serenade is courtship of exquisite beauty and warmth while Scenes conjures the sights and sounds of happy Bavarian holiday visits by the recent newlyweds. Texts included. Brighton Festival Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra; Barry Wordsworth.