The Choir Boys

St Philips Boy's Choir - Angel Voices 3 (1997)
Christmas/Choral | EAC | FLAC+log+cue | full scans | MCCDX019 | 1CD | 320 MB

It is said that human voices are better music compared to any musical instruments, and this CD is the definite proof. With their heavenly voices, the St.Phillips Choir boys brings you to the land of serenity and offers you the peace of mind. This CD features 20 Christmas carols, some very popular, like White Christmas and The First Noel, but some seldom heard, like Saviour's Day and When a Child is Born. New song or not, the choir boys have added an innocent ambience to each song that absolutely touches the listener's heart. – Arie

CORONA SPINEA is Taverner's longest Mass and a liturgical curiosity. Its plainsong cantus firmus (placed in the tenor) has never been identified, but the title implies that it was written for the feast of the Crown of Thorns, a rare event in England. As usual with Tudor festal Masses, the Kyrie is not set. The four remaining movements are of roughly equal length. Each consists of sections from two to four voices in various combinations, punctuated by passages for the full six-part choir. Taverner's choir at Cardinal College had sixteen boys and twelve men. The present choir of Christ Church Cathedral numbers sixteen boys and thirteen men. These performances, given by a choir of virtually identical size and composition to Taverner's own, and recorded in the building where he worked during the most fruitful part of his life, are therefore of unusual historical interest.