Open World Cambridge

The two choirs of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge return to Resonus Classics to collaborate once more on a new recording of contemporary works for Advent and Christmas. Featuring many world premiere recordings, the programme includes works written specially for the two college choirs including Diana Burrell’s exuberant carol, Green groweth the holly; Christopher Fox’s major new setting of the O Anitphons, insterpersed with the original plainchant, and Jeremy Thurlow’s Magnificat for upper voices, organ and tape, that blazes with the intensity of a new vision of the world.

John Rutter has selected some of his favorite church anthems from previous releases of his music to put together the collection Be Thou My Vision. Most of these have full orchestral accompaniment, as Rutter prefers these versions over those with just organ, but there are also a few a cappella anthems thrown in as well, which sound just as lush and graceful as the orchestral ones. The brief, a cappella God be in my head uses a sixteenth century text and hints at the music used in churches from the same period. It is Rutter's smooth and rich, yet not complex, writing that has made his music popular with audiences and amateur performers alike. Of course, this recording features his own Cambridge Singers, with the City of London Sinfonia, all under his baton and sounding highly polished. The lack of pretense or condescension in his music is also appealing. Some of the texts he uses could have much more grandiose settings, and have had by other English composers, but Rutter always goes for a more simple elegance, usually with a serene calmness, also. O clap your hands and For the beauty of the earth use jazzy rhythms to give them a little more energy than the other works here. The compilation contains many of his more popular anthems, such as A Gaelic Blessing, All things bright and beautiful, and I will life up mine eyes from his Requiem. It's a fine sampling of his non-Christmas church music.

Asia are an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1981. The most commercially successful lineup was its original, which consisted of four members of different progressive rock bands who had enjoyed great success in the 1970s: lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton (King Crimson, Uriah Heep and U.K.), guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), keyboardist Geoff Downes (Yes and the Buggles) and drummer Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer). Their debut album, Asia, released in 1982, remains their best-selling album and went to number one in several countries. Billboard listed it as the top album in the U.S. in 1982. The lead single from the album, "Heat of the Moment", remains their top charting and best-known song, reaching the top 40 in over a dozen markets. It peaked at #4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.