A graceful musical gift
Somerville College Choir’s luminous album of contemporary festive works is a real treat
The Dawn of Grace
– Music for Christmas
Works by Judith Bingham, Cecilia Mcdowall, Errollyn Wallen, Cheryl Frances-hoad, Joanna Marsh et al Somerville College Choir, Oxford/will Dawes Resonus RES10310 65:47 mins
Somerville College, Oxford was founded in 1879 as one of the first two women’s colleges at the University. So it’s fitting that the College Choir’s Christmas recording The Dawn of Grace should be entirely devoted to women composers. The choir’s technical ability is immediately evident in Cecilia Mcdowall’s O Oriens, whose tight intervals and luminous eightpart harmonies are confidently meshed together. Steph Garrett’s sentient soprano solo graces the American composer Abbie Betinis’s soothingly lyrical Behind the Clouds, while Anna Semple’s rhythmically tricksy Drop down, ye heavens benefits from the excellent balance between upper-and-lower voices achieved by conductor Will Dawes. Subtle dynamic nuancing distinguishes Joanna Marsh’s O magnum mysterium, where the lambent, vibrato-free singing of the choir’s sopranos is a major advantage. They get a track to themselves, in Errollyn Wallen’s exquisitely fragile Peace on earth, and in Ghislaine Reece-trapp’s Alleluia! A New Work is Come on Hand the full choir achieves a invigorating blend of buoyant spontaneity and ensemble discipline. Innovatively programmed, and sung with an uplifting freshness and alacrity, this is simply irresistible. ★★★★★