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DCD34332-CD
£19.99
The Choir of Merton College and Benjamin Nicholas here place Rubbra’s sacred music at the heart of his creative life, tracing through his career the composer’s conviction that faith was not a subject to be illustrated but a principle that governed musical thought itself.
At the head of the programme is the first recording of Cantata di Camera (Crucifixus pro nobis), in which the choir is joined by tenor Benjamin Hulett and instrumentalists from Britten Sinfonia. In a fascinating contrast to Leighton’s setting of these words from the same year, Rubbra builds a single, continuous span, allowing musical ideas to accumulate in a deeply affecting work whose beauty lies in its patience, its glowing harmonic language and its atmosphere of sustained reflection.
"Essayed with the utmost sympathy under Nicholas’s watchful lead, it’s a significant addition to the Rubbra discography, Hulett’s golden-toned contribution being especially gratifying.
All told, this is a peach of an album, whose attractions are enhanced by both Paul Baxter’s flawless production values and Alexandra Coghlan’s conspicuously eloquent and perceptive booklet essay. Not to be missed."
'The work opens with Hulett's exquisite voice – lyrical, eloquent, and perfectly calibrated to the sentiment – accompanied by harp and organ in a balance that never overwhelms. The hushed entry of the choir is delightful; Rubbra's compositional mastery in colouring the words is evident from the first phrase.
The organ music is beautifully realised on the Merton instrument. Crescendos and careful registration create an atmosphere of mystery and contemplation—the Meditation for Organ is a work of quiet loveliness, while Prelude and Fugue on a Theme by Cyril Scott offers pages of magical, hushed colour.
As one has come to expect from Benjamin Nicholas's Merton ensemble, the precision and tonal beauty are exquisite: impeccably balanced, with admirable diction throughout. The choir captures Rubbra's spiritual world without apparent effort; the dynamics are perfectly judged.'
"I’ve heard virtually all the discs which Benjamin Nicholas and the Choir of Merton College have made for Delphian over the years. I’ve never been disappointed, either in the chosen repertoire or in the standard of performance. That’s very much the case here, too. The singing is flawless throughout – as is the playing of the quartet of players from the Britten Sinfonia in Crucifixus pro Nobis. Rubbra has been exceptionally well served by this disc.
I’ve also come to expect the highest standards of documentation and engineering from Delphian; that’s certainly the case here. The number of times I’ve cited Alexandra Coghlan’s essay about the music attests to the value I’ve extracted from it. Engineer/producer Paul Baxter is now a seasoned veteran of recording in Merton College Chapel; that shows in the clear, truthful recorded sound.
Admirers of the reserved but very fine music of Edmund Rubbra should not hesitate to acquire this recording. Equally, though, I hope it may win new friends for this excellent composer."
John Quinn - MusicWeb International
read his full review here
'The Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici for four-part choir has been recorded several times.It is a very moving work and what I like about this Merton performance is the close attention to detail, ie, dynamic shadings and tempi all in line with the composer’s wishes. Though the tenors and sometimes sopranos may sound strained at points, the overall performance is utterly effective.
Rubbra’s Virgin’s Cradle Hymn of 1922 has an immediate appeal. Published in the Oxford Book of Carols but now is little heard, so this recording will remind listeners of its ethereal beauty.
Rubbra’s Evening Service in Ab is often in the cathedral repertoire although it is an organist’s nightmare with, in the Gloria, triplet quavers in the pedals against typically bell like rising and falling duplet scales in the hands. If well-balanced, as here, it is electrifying and exultant.'
'Edmund Rubbra (1901-86) wrote 11 symphonies. They’re rarely played nowadays, which is both understandable and a little unfair. He was a skilled craftsman with a steady religious mind, creating a musical signature of both conservative distinction and mild-mannered curiosity. That’s certainly the impression given by Benjamin Nicholas’ Choir of Merton College, joined variously in this album of mainly religious choral music by the Britten Sinfonia, tenor Benjamin Hulett and organists François Cloete and Owen Chan. Short and appealing, The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn finds Rubbra inspired by tradition as a student, whereas such later works as the steady-handed Missa in Honorem Sancti Dominici (intriguing hints of Eastern musical influence) and Cantata di Camera: Crucifixus pro Nobis (exquisite colourings from the intimate instrumental ensemble) demonstrate his imagination. Two of the voluptuous Five Motets Op 37 leave you thirsting for the other three. The organ works are mixed in quality.'
Release date: 27 March 2026
Recorded on 23-25 June 2024 at Merton College, Oxford
Producer/Engineer: Paul Baxter
24-bit digital editing: Jack Davis
24-bit digital mastering: Paul Baxter
Design: John Christ
Booklet editor: Henry Howard
Session photography: Will Coates-Gibson/ Foxbrush
