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Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis CDs The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, the main canticles for Evensong make a wonderful contrasting pair of settings, and can often outshine the anthem in a full choral evensong. CDs of mag and nuncs are surprisingly popular, whether you run a choir and want to hear some possible extension to your repertoire or simply enjoy listening to these mini-masterpieces.    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 1 - Gloucester Cathedral Choir     A nice, clear recording by Gloucester with none of the over dramatics (and irritating acoustics) of certain cathedral choirs. Some of the M&Ns are quite a surprising choice for the opening CD in Priory's enormous 21 volume collection, while others are respectable standards. Brewer is a delight with a light touch that suggests something between Stanford and Britten (if that can be imagined). Howells' Gloucester is inevitable given the performers, and though not the ultimate from this master of the form is very good. Sumsion shows his flexibility in giving us canticles in G for practically every combination of voices. (The Wesley's not to our taste, but you can't like everything.) Amazon.co.uk lists this as 4 to 6 weeks, but check the Marketplace section for quicker (and cheaper) suppliers. - New 9 September 2004 Brewer in D Sumsion in G (boys' voices) SS Wesley in E Sumsion in G (full choir) Howells (Gloucester) Lloyd in A Aston in F Sumsion in G (men's voices) Kelly in C    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 2 - Chichester Cathedral Choir     Chichester's sweetly sung contribution to the mighty Priory collection has some real surprises and rarely ventures into the core repertoire (probably the closest to a classic is Sumsion's excellent setting in A). As well as some top notch 17th century settings, including Ayleward (best known for his stalwart responses) and Weelkes' delightful sixth service, there are some very good interpretations from more modern composers - Hawes, for instance is a lively and impressive discovery, Vann has some hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck moments and Holst's standalone Nunc is quite etherial. It's well worth visiting Amazon.com even if you intend to buy it from Amazon.co.uk as they have an excellent set of samples from the CD. Amazon.co.uk lists this as out of stock, but click the link above and check the Marketplace section for suppliers. - New 10 September 2004 Hawes in D Naylor in A Daniel Purcell in E minor Ayleward (Short Service) Vann (Chichester) Weelkes (First Service) Sumsion in A Holst (Nunc only) Kelway in B minor Weelkes (Sixth Service) Smart in G    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 3 - Lichfield Cathedral Choir     Lichfield might not be the first UK cathedral choir that springs to mind, but the performance here is riveting. Both the masters of the genre - Stanford and Howells - are represented. Stanford's A setting is perhaps a little lightweight in places, but pleasant, and Howells in a more cheerful mood than is often the case. A couple of very pleasing "modern" sounding settings - Grayston Ives suitably quirky and Leighton's distinctive Magdalen Service - the Nunc of this is a particular favourite (presumably sung by Lichfield because Magdalen is one of the few big Oxford singing colleges who didn't make it in). It's rounded off with a classic spot of Dyson, proving that the father of famous physicist Freeman Dyson wasn't limited to the perhaps better known Dyson in F. Decidedly funky note sequence on "His mercy is on them that fear him" and lovely scrunch on "and to the son" in the Gloria, if occasionally pedestrian elsewhere. - New 10 September 2004 Stanford in A Watson in E Ives (Edington Service) Gibbons (Short Service) Leighton (Magdalen Service) Howells in G Dyson in D    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 4 - Portsmouth Cathedral Choir     You could be forgiven for not realising the naval town of Portsmouth has a cathedral. In fact it didn't until 1927, but the old parish church was suitably enlarged and now it's a lovely place to sing in, as the choir demonstrates admirably, if perhaps slightly lower in oomph than some. They also give excellent value for money, cramming over 78 minutes onto the CD. As usual with this series there's an excellent mix. Andrewes is a lovely discovery - slap bang between Stanford (opens rather like the Bluebird) and Howells. The big H himself is represented by the excellent E major and the subtly dark B minor. Lassus and Victoria give us a rare chance to hear magnificent renaissance Latin constructs on plainsong, while Weelkes' treble service (which has men's voices too) is interesting, if one of the weaker performances. Shephard's modern setting is suitably haunting. And if Darke in F only means a eucharist setting to you, the canticles are robust and occasionally surprising. The reliable old warhorse here is Stanford's C, which is sympathetically treated, if a bit slow for our liking. A few samples on the Amazon.co.uk site..   - New 11 September 2004 Brewer in E flat Andrewes in G Howells in E Lassus Magnificat (Tone IV) Victoria Nunc (Tone III) Stanford in C Weelkes (service for trebles) Darke in F Shephard (Salisbury Service) Howells in B minor Bairstow in D    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 5 - Bristol Cathedral Choir     Bristol might only have been a cathedral since the reformation but it is one of the friendliest and easiest to sing in of all the great cathedrals. They kick off with one of the easiest of the chunky, rumbustious settings to sing - Noble (am I the only one reminded of Captain Kirk by T. Tertius Noble?). We've got the first repeat in the series here with another rendition of Howells in G - rather richer and warmer than the Lichfield rendition. Other features include the interestingly twiddly organ part in Warren's Bristol Service, exquisite tudorbethan subtlety in Morley's first service and a delightfully crisp pure plainchant rendition. Leighton's wonderful sounding but evil-to-sing fiddly bits in the Mag aren't perfectly rendered, but energy and enthusiasm more than make up for any slight slip. Choir and building combine to provide a wonderfully rich sound - nice one.   - New 11 September 2004 Noble in B minor Jackson in G Warren (Bristol Service) Harker in A Flat Morley (First Service) Magnificat (PS tone IV.4) and Nunc (PS tone II.1) Leighton (Second Service) Moore (Canterbury Service) for trebles Howells in G    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 6 - Rochester Cathedral Choir     Rochester may be one of the smaller cathedrals, but it has a lovely acoustic and is very pleasant to sing in. Some enjoyable 20th century music - Walton's spiky Mag and initially dark (and reminiscent of Britten's Little Musgrave) Nunc is impressive, Whitlock's setting more traditional but well put across. Hylton Stewart's setting is lyrically pleasant, while Tippett inevitably has some shock value, especially in the organ part - the Rochester gang do well with his acrobatics, and manage to get the hairs standing up on the back of the neck with the strikingly eerie Nunc. Heath is the one venture into pre-Victorian music, and is excellent. After Walmisley's solid favourite, Murrill is probably the closest to a core piece here, and doesn't sound as modern as it is, but is a very sound setting, with delightful organ chords and considerable subtlety. Samples of the first five tracks at Amazon.co.uk  - New 13 September 2004 Walton (Chichester Service) Whitlock in D Watson in F (treble voices) Hylton Stewart in C Tippett (St John Service) Heath (Verse Service) Ashfield in D Murrill in E Walmisley in D minor  Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 7 - Hereford Cathedral Choir     Once you've got the basics of the evening service music out of the way, you begin to explore some new and fascinating ground. One of the great thing about the paired Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis is the way the first can be so dramatic and the second so subtle and haunting. This recording by Hereford shows off some reasonably well known settings like Dyson in F and Stanford in F, but also ventures into more unusual territory. The Hereford choir put the canticles across clearly and sweetly - perhaps occasionally a little flatly (in tone, not pitch), but usually just right. This recording is worth buying for one rare setting alone. The Darke in A minor is absolutely scrumptious. It's unaccompanied and truly beautiful. You can hear a sample of it on Amazon.co.uk ( click on the link and scroll down to "Listen to samples" - Darke is tracks 3 and 4), though they're selected from the middle of the pieces, so don't do them justice. - New 11 August 2004 Sumsion in D Darke in A minor Lloyd Hereford Walford Davies in G Vann Hereford Dyson in F Harwood in A flat Shephard Hereford Stanford in F    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 8 - Llandaff Cathedral Choir     Cathedrals don't come much smaller than Llandaff, but their sound belies this in a spirited if not always tightly sung set of canticles. Among the modern settings the Knott is effectively Howells-like, while the master himself is represented by the Sarum setting (Salisbury is one of the choirs not represented in this set) - arguably not one of his best. Vann's Chester service is interesting and probably the best of the other modern settings. Blair is solidly Victorian, but with some nice moments, and Gray (apparently a contemporary of Stanford's) not really up to the Stanford comparison. Of the older settings, Purcell's is surprisingly stodgy for the ultimate composer of bounce, while Farrant's doesn't pack any surprises but is rather pleasant. Samples of the first five tracks at Amazon.co.uk   - New 13 September 2004 Knott (Third Service) Purcell in B flat (tranposed to C) Vann (Chester Service) for trebles Farrant (Short Service) Richard Shephard (Llandaff Service) for trebles Near (St. Mark's Service) Blair in B minor Gray in F minor Howells (Sarum Service)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 9 - York Minster Choir     York is, of course one of the greatest cathedral buildings in the UK, though strangely (along with Durham and Canterbury) the choir doesn't have quite the same reputation as some of the other top notch cathedrals. Wood's setting is straightforward and enjoyable in a solid way, while Noble is his usual entertainingly melodramatic self. Among the moderns Jackson has some haunting phrases and Bairstow rather lighter than usual - verging on the jolly. Howells is represented by one of his best, the St Paul's service. Whiteley, the organist on the recording, provides an intriguing setting, while Moore is an interesting hybrid of plainsong and modern polyphony. Of the older settings, Rogers is delicately fun and Ward rather more intricately so. Nares provides a Purcellian bounciness. Samples of the first five tracks at Amazon.co.uk  - New 13 September 2004 Wood in E flat (Number 1) Jackson in G minor Rogers (Sharp Service) Noble in A minor Moore (First Service) Bairstow in E flat Ward (First Service) Nares in F Whitely (York Service) Howells (St Paul's Service)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 10 - Truro Cathedral Choir     Another small cathedral, but Truro do very well for themselves (the trebles can be a little harsh sounding), which as just as well as they've drawn the long straw and got more than their fair share of classics of the genre. Stanford's B flat setting is probably the perfect example of Edwardian Canticles, while modernists get Howell's unmatchable Col Reg, and those with an older ear get to choose between Gibbon's Second Service, Byrd's Short Service and Batten's Fourth (Batten's our favourite, but Byrd is close behind). We shouldn't forget Whitlock's pleasing plainsong interspersed polyphony and Howells other contribution, which while not Col Reg is still great. Samples of the first five tracks at Amazon.co.uk  - New 13 September 2004 Wood in E flat (Number 2) Byrd (Short Service) Gibbons (Second Service) Stanford in B flat Wise in E flat Howells (Collegium Regale) Whitlock (on a Plainsong theme) Batten (Fourth Service) Howells (Westminster Service)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 11 - St Edmundsbury Cathedral Choir     If you're wonder where St Edmundsbury is, it's the cathedral at Bury St. Edmunds, a wonderfully atmospheric place. Some less well known setting here - probably Statham is the best known, a pleasant and largely straightforward setting. John Wood's setting for the trebles is light and bouncy, while Moeran is deceptively simple sounding and deserves to be heard more. Byrd's fauxbourdon setting is wonderfully contemplative (watch out for the modern fauxbourden setting by Beer later - not quite up to Byrd, but good stuff), while Rubbra starts off like a horror film soundtrack and keeps you on the edge of your pew. Honourable mention too for Bernard Rose, perhaps best known for his responses, but giving us an interesting modern setting here. - New 13 September 2004 Statham in E minor John Wood in G (boy's voices) Moeran in D Byrd (Fauxbourdons) Rubbra in A flat Beer (First Service) for boy's voices Bennett in D minor (men's voices) Wood in D Rose in C minor    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 12 - Ripon Cathedral Choir     Like Peterborough, Ripon is another of those surprise, ex-abbey cathedrals in an unexpected site. Good singing on a CD focussing mostly on early 20th century and 17th. Wood isn't one of our favourites, but the G s one of his best, while Harris in A is a straightforward and easily singable setting. Dyson in D gets its setting outing in the series with perhaps a bit more oomph than the Lichfield version. Ireland was a very mixed composer - some of his music decidedly dull, where a simple a thing as his hymn tune for "My Song is Love Unknown" is a miniature masterpiece. Ireland in F is apparently one of the most popular settings around and is both likeable and an enjoyable sing. Most of the older settings are delights, though Amner and Tallis particularly stand out.   - New 15 September 2004 Wood in G Anmer (Caesar Service) Tallis (Short Service in the Dorian mode) Tompkins (Third Service) Weelkes (Five Voices) Day in B flat Harris in A Dyson in D Ireland in F    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 13 -St Thomas, Fifth Avenue Choir     It's particularly strange that the one recording in this series from the US isn't available on amazon.com - but it can be shipped from the UK without a problem. The music is almost all 20th century by American composers, giving an opportunity to hear a real variation on the mag & nunc theme. The one exception is the (very long) early 17th century French Titelouze, which alternates singing and mini-organ recitals in an interesting, but not entirely engaging way. Friedell is a lively setting with a bit of a Vaughan Williams on speed feel. Susa's piece which veers between good and not-quite making it, while Schuller gives a good modern 20th century feel. Wright's is perhaps our favourite, a thoughtful and varied piece.  Samples of the first five tracks at Amazon.co.uk  - New 15 September 2004 Friedell in F Susa (St. Thomas Service) Wright in E minor Titelouze Magnificat (Tone IV) Sowerby in D Schuller (St. Thomas Service) Ossewaarde in C    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 14 - Ely Cathedral Choir     Ely is the hidden treasure of the UK cathedral circuit - not much to look at outside but gorgeous inside. Good if slightly cool performances (perhaps reflecting the cathedral - anyone who has sat through the Matthew Passion on a chilly day there really knows what cold is).  A good mix of modern and not so. Moderns first: Rose's setting for boys voices is fine, if not over-exciting, while Orr brings a beautifully contrasting setting, with both energetic and contemplative moments. Wills makes particularly effective use of plainsong, merging it into a modern delight that shows why he's one of the most underrated 20th century church composer, and Cruft provides a pleasantly discordant confection. It's not obvious why Ely repeated Wood in G, which was only 2 CDs back on Ripon's recording (and rather warmer sounding there). Of the older settings, Blow is gentle but with a few surprises, Greene (best known for his simple harvest anthem Thou Visitest The Earth) has Handelian elegance, and Child is a little gem. Samples of the first five tracks at Amazon.co.uk - New 16 September 2004 Bullock in D Blow in G (transposed to A) Rose in E (boys' voices) Orr (short service) Greene in C Wood in G Child in E minor (transposed to A minor) Cruft (Collegium Regale) Wills (on plainsong tones) Bairstow in G    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 15 - New College, Oxford Choir    The first Oxford college in this set (what has Priory got against Cambridge?) kicks off with their very own Howells setting, one of the great man's more lyrical numbers. We then get Stanford in G, the last of the Stanford classics with its delightful solos (and taken at a decent pace, rather than wallowing in it as some do). Gounod comes up with a surprisingly English sounding (the opening of the Nunc could have been Stainer!) setting (but then he lived in England quite a while) - nothing too exciting. Finzi's doesn't have the feel of a "working" mag - it's just too long, but keeps the interest. Wood generally isn't one of our favourites, but this service benefits a lot from being unaccompanied. Pleasantly spiky setting from Diana Burrell (love the opening of the Nunc), and entertainingly syncopated Mag from Swayne, but we do like our mag & nuncs in pairs, so it's a pity we don't get the Byrd great service Nunc. This also is rather long - but as always Byrd can be forgiven anything. - New 16 September 2004 Howells (New College Service) Stanford in G Gounod in D Finzi Magnificat Wood in E (men's voices) Burrell (treble voices) Swayne Magnificat Byrd Magnificat (Great Service)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 16 - Worcester Cathedral Choir   Worcester kick off with a very traditional turn of 19/20 Century setting that plays so much to the conventions it's easy to be fooled into thinking you know it. Tomkins' fifth, by comparison has some surprises and is very pleasant (shame about "savi-ur" though). You have to be intrigued by the name of Hunt's setting - it's a bit of a gimmick, but mostly works okay, basing the mag mostly on the Shaker tune that is mostly sung to Lord of the Dance, and the Nunc to a spiritual. Hurford's setting is mostly contemplative with a few outbursts. Tavener is readily recognisable, but keeps thing moving and growing very effectively. Hemingway has given the trebles an excellent setting (which they put across very well) - nice and short too: longer isn't always better. The CD ends with Howells' Worcester Service - very obviously Howells (which means good stuff in our book), but perhaps not his greatest setting. - New 16 September 2004 Atkins in G Tomkins (fifth service) Hunt (American themes with chants) Parsons (First/Great Service) Hurford in F sharp minor Tavener (Collegium Regale) Bax in G Hemingway in E Howells (Worcester Service)   Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 17 - Norwich Cathedral Choir     Norwich might be tucked away in a corner of the UK, but it's gem of a cathedral is a delight to sing in, and the choir are top notch. We get a rather exotic flavour here with evensong essential Howells weighing in with his soaring Dallas Canticles and Bryan Kelly with his suitably lively Jamaican setting. Willan provides an interesting 20th century fauxbourdon service, while Walmisley might not be quite up to his D minor, but isn't bad. Major's modern setting is lively and accompanied, which always makes a pleasant change. Bryan is fine, but didn't give enough consideration to the words. Cleobury's service for men's voice is captivating, while Wise's fresh 17th century sound reminds us that this recording is a little short of older settings.  - New 13 September 2004 Howells (The Dallas Canticles) Willan (Fauxbourdons) Walmisley in D major Major in G Bryan (Norwich Service) Cleobury (Short Service) for men's voices Blatchley (Third Service) Wise in F Kelly (Jamaican Canticles) Patterson (Norwich Service)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 18 - Peterborough Cathedral Choir     Peterborough is not really the sort of place you'd expect to have a great old cathedral, but it does - and an impressive place it is too. A good selection of modern settings here, including three specially written for Peterborough. Ridout's bouncy Mag and contemplative Nunc is our favourite, but each has its merits. Watson's treble setting is rather pleasant too. But it's not all modern - the Victorians are solidly represented by Stainer's energetic B flat and Wood's Col Reg with some nice echo work in the Mag, though the Nunc is a little tedious. West's setting for men's voices is rather nice too. Purcell's G minor has just the sort of bounce you'd expect from this composer, with typical alternation between full choir and subsections. And for something completely different there's a delightful fauxbourdon setting.    - New 12 September 2004 Vann (Peterborough Service) Jackson in G minor Stainer in B flat Ridout (Peterborough Service) Watson in F (treble voices) Christison Fauxbourdon (men's voices) West in C (men's voices) Purcell in G minor Kelly (Peterborough Service) Wood (Collegium Regale)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 19 - St George's, Belfast Choir     One of the few recordings in this series not at a cathedral, but at the large St George's Church in Belfast. Lots of settings for boys' voices here, with good, strong confident performance, if occasionally having tonal variation. Ridout is effective and pleasant, Long lyrical, Dyson works better in the full SATB version, but is still striking, while Hurford is perhaps the most interesting. The inevitable Howells is Collegium Santi Johannis Cantabrigiense, not necessarily performed all that often, but rewards listening. Sumsion's setting for men is very pleasing to the ear, while Byrd's second service is (almost inevitably) exquisite.    - New 13 September 2004 Ridout in A minor (treble voices) Morley (Fauxbourdons) Long in F (treble voices) Howells (St John's Service) Sumsion in G (men's voices) Byrd (Second Service) Watson in E flat Dyson in C minor (treble voices) Willan in E flat Hurford in A (treble voices)    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 20 - Keble College, Oxford Choir     A spirited setting from the relatively unknown Willan leads off this precisely performed CD by Keble, Oxford. Wood's is a classic, solid Edwardian feeling setting, though the best setting on the CD of this period is probably Harwood's dramatic rendering with its deliberate echoes of earlier styles. Tallis, of course, is the real thing in a beautiful Latin setting. Coming more modern, that great Mag & Nunc expert Howells provides a haunting setting originally written for Chicester, and Arvo Part's isolated Magnificat is quite moving. Vaughan Williams (sort of modern), who did so much for church music with the English Hymnal is not generally regarded as one of the greats of the genre, but his setting in C is workmanlike. Mention also ought to be made of the soaring treble solo in Cook's setting - delightful.    - New 14 September 2004 WIllan in A Pearce in D (double choir) Wood in C Tallis (Latin) Howells (Chichester) Part Magnificat Vaughan Williams in C Cook in G Harwood in E minor    Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 21 - St. George's Chapel, Windsor Choir      Although neither a cathedral nor an Oxbridge college, St. George's Windsor retains a full cathedral-style choir as the Chapel Royal, with singers of a quality rarely bettered elsewhere. Coming at the end of the set of 21, there might be a slight feeling here that the bottom of the barrel is being scraped. No Howells, for instance, and a greater tendancy towards bitty inclusions - but that doesn't make this a disaster by any means. Weelkes is pleasant if not the best of the period and the various one-offs worth listening to - perhaps the best is the 18th century Soler, which has a genuinely surprising opening, though it settles down to be more predictable after that. Glasser's modern Latin setting is probably the most interesting on the disc - a genuine sense of thrill there. Of the Edwardian feeling pair, Parry probably has the edge on Smart, though neither really rival a Stanford.  - New 14 September 2004 Vivanco Magnificat (Octavi Toni) Ortiz Nunc Dimittis Weelkes (Medio Chori) Marenzio Magnificat (Secundi Toni) Soler Magnificat (Secundo Tono) Parry in D Glasser Andrews in D Smart in B flat   My Soul doth Magnify the Lord   If you enjoy those miniature masterpieces, the settings of the Evening canticles, the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis, this is an excellent CD to have at the core of your collection with a good set of the best Mag & Nuncs around (even better, also get the companion My Spirit Hath Rejoiced). St. Pauls isn't the idea acoustic for a crisp, precise recording, but there's plenty of verve in the performance to make up for the occasionally excessive echo   - New 10 February 2003 Stanford in C Walmisley in D minor Wesley in E Blair in B minor Wood Collegium Regale (F) Brewer in D  My Spirit hath Rejoiced   A companion to My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord, this is another collection of the settings of the Evening canticles, the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis. They've cunningly left several of the best settings for the second CD, so there's no excuse to only go for one, and it continues your collection with a good set of the best Mag & Nuncs around. As before, St. Pauls isn't the idea acoustic for a crisp, precise recording, but there's plenty of verve in the performance to make up for the occasionally excessive echo   - New 10 February 2003 Noble in B minor Howells Gloucester Murrill in E Harwood in F Darke in F Sumsion in G Dyson in D Looking for a particular type of music or a CD with a particular piece on? Drop us an e-mail and we'll try to help. Do let us know also if you can recommend on online resource and we'll add it to our lists. Copyright © Creativity Unleashed Limited 2006 Last update 27 March 2006 THE CHURCH MUSIC SITE Home Anthems CDs Hymns Carols Info Sheet Music Weddings Baptisms Funerals  Hymn Accompaniment CDs

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