POULENC AND HIS
FRENCH CONTEMPORARIES

Recorded 21-25 August 2005 in L'Abbaye de Saint Michel-en-Thierache, France
Playing time 70'30"   DDD

Reviews

"This is the first in a series of three discs exploring 20th-century choral music. ...Poulenc takes centre-stage, his Four little Prayers for St Francis of Assisi and Mass in G major among eight works given the Rolls Royce treatment by a choir as strong on intensity and commitment as crystal-clear of voice and vision."

The Observer

"Throughout the disc Higginbottom draws exemplary clarity of texture from his New College choristers; the tantalizing, almost acidic harmonies of all these pieces are laid out like jewels ready for the closest of inspections.
Moments of beauty (and they come thick and fast) are deliciously understated . . . for performances which are full of musical and artistic integrity and a real sense of involvement with the music, these from New College, Oxford are in a class of their own."

International Record Review

" All is well tuned and enthusiastically sung ... and impeccably recorded, with good presentation and background notes."

www.musicalpointers.co.uk

"There is much in the recital to give pleasure and edification..."

BBC Music Magazine

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

1    Salve Regina [5.00]
Quatre petites prières de Saint François d'Assise
2    (i) Salut, Dame Sainte [2.32]
3    (ii) Tout puissant, très saint [1.26]
4    (iii) Seigneur, je vous en prie [1.24]
5    (iv) Omes très chers frères [2.07]
6    Exultate Deo [2.58]

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

7    O sacrum convivium [4.46]

David Newsholme organ

Francis Poulenc

8    Quem vidistis pastores dicite [2.30]
9    Videntes stellam [2.49]

Pierre Villette (1926-1998)

10  Attende Domine, opus 45 [5.37]

Francis Poulenc

11  O magnum mysterium [3.34]
12  Hodie Christus natus est [2.39]
Messe en sol majeur
13  Kyrie [3.09]
14  Gloria [3.36]
15  Sanctus [2.29]
16  Benedcitus [3.31]
17  Agnus Dei [4.32]

Pierre Villette

18  Panis angelicus, opus 80 [3.42]
19  Hymne à la Vierge, op 24 [4.01]

Francis Poulenc

20  Litanies à la Vierge noire [8.09]

Nicholas Wearne organ