Ave Maria

by Boys Of St Paul's Choir School

Overview

There have been several strong boychoirs in the U.S. down through the years, but The Boys of St. Paul's Choir School, formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1963 in response to a directive of Pope John XXIII that central-city churches should have their own choral schools, may be the first to enter the turf of the longstanding British cathedral choirs. They are apparently the only American choir directly associated with the Catholic church. The Marian program mixes chant with choral pieces from the Renaissance through the Romantic eras, almost all in Latin, some of them accompanied on organ by choirmaster John Robinson, and featuring the men of the choir as well. Robinson was imported from Britain, but the sound of the choir, one might say, remains American. What the young choristers lack in tonal precision they make up for with a big sound and a good deal of spiritual enthusiasm. If you want to see where they go wrong, sample Bach's Bist du bei mir, whose not especially vocalist-friendly melody, with irregular leaps, poses problems for the singers. But it's better to enjoy their strengths: Bruckner's Virga Jesse floruit has a distinctive powerful sound and builds to an impressive climax. The choir made one recording, Christmas in Harvard Square, before this one, but Ave Maria marks their debut on the major Sony label, whose investment seems likely to be repaid with strong sales.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/08/2017
Label:	Masterworks
UPC:	0889854173920
Rank:	53078

Tracks

1. Ave Maria
2. Virga Jesse Floruit
3. Stabat Mater~Stabat Mater Dolorosa
4. Bist Du Bei Mir
5. Gaude, Virgo Mater
6. Reges Tharsis
7. Da Nobis Pacem
8. Missa Papae Marcelli~Kyrie
9. Dignus Est Agnus
10. Theodora~Angels Ever Bright and Fair
11. Tu Trinitatis Unitas
12. Sub Tuum Praesidium
13. All-Night Vigil~Bogoroditse Devo
14. Messe Br¿¿ve~O Salutaris Hostia
15. Requiem~In Paradisum
16. O Mysterium Ineffabile
17. Nulla in Mundo
18. A Bible Songs: A Song of Wisdom

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Boys of St. Paul's Choir School   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Jeremy Bruns   Organ
John Robinson   Organ

Technical Credits

George Frederick Handel   Composer
Giovanni Pergolesi   Composer
Joseph Rheinberger   Composer
William Kelly   Liner Notes,Photography
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina   Composer
Marc-Antoine Charpentier   Composer
Josquin Des Prez   Composer
Charles Villiers Stanford   Composer
Christopher Alder   Editing,Producer
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Leo Delibes   Composer
Felix Mendelssohn   Composer
Anton Bruckner   Composer
Sergey Rachmaninov   Composer
Gabriel Faure   Composer
Gregorian Chant   Composer
Jean-Francois Lallouette   Composer
Kevin Fitzgibbons   Executive Producer
Monica Fitzgibbons   Executive Producer
John Robinson   Liner Notes
Brad Michel   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
Emilie Pickering   Photography
Julie Streeter   Package Design
Antonio Vivaldi   Composer
Antonin Dvorak   Composer