Michael Waldron - Mentor: Britten & Oldham (CD)

A focused portrait of Britten alongside a little-known but significant British contemporary, marking both the 50th anniversary of Britten's death and the centenary year of Arthur Oldham's birth. Under Michael Waldron, the London Choral Sinfonia pairs Britten with the one composer he privately mentored: Arthur Oldham. The program brings together familiar works by Britten with a substantial selection of Oldham's choral music, placing the two composers in direct conversation. At the center is Britten's Serenade for tenor, horn and strings, a cycle of nocturnal poetry (Tennyson, Blake, Keats and others) framed by the horn's natural harmonics in the Prologue and Epilogue. Horn soloist Annemarie Federle and Tenor Nick Pritchard trace it's shifting atmosphere, with string accompaniment from the London Choral Sinfonia. Britten's Te Deum in C appears in the rarely heard orchestrated version for strings and harp, presented here as a world premiere recording. Oldham's music completes the program: the cantata Laudes Creaturarum on the text of St Francis of Assisi (with Carolyn Sampson), the carol Remember, O thou man, and the ceremonial Sacerdos et Pontifex for chorus and organ - also recorded here for the first time.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Britten: Te Deum in C (Version for Choir ; Orchestra) Te Deum in C (Version for Choir ; Orchestra)
2. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 I. Prologue
3. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 II. Pastoral
4. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 III. Nocturne
5. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 IV. Elegy
6. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 V. Dirge
7. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 VI. Hymn
8. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 VII. Sonnet
9. Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 VIII. Epilogue
10. Oldham: Remember, O Thou Man Remember, O Thou Man
11. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
12. The Canticle of All Creatures I. Altissimu, Omnipotente Bon Signore
13. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
14. The Canticle of All Creatures II. Laudatu Sie, Mi Signore Cum Tucte Le Tue Creature
15. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
16. The Canticle of All Creatures III. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Sora Luna
17. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
18. The Canticle of All Creatures IV. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Frate Uento
19. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
20. The Canticle of All Creatures V. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Sor'acqua
21. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
22. The Canticle of All Creatures VI. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Frate Focu
23. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
24. The Canticle of All Creatures VII. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Sora Nostra Matre Terra
25. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
26. The Canticle of All Creatures VIII. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Quelli Che Perdonano Per Lo Tuo Amore
27. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
28. The Canticle of All Creatures IX. Laudatu Si', Mi Signore, Per Sora Nostra Morte Corporale
29. Oldham: Laudes Creaturarum
30. The Canticle of All Creatures X. Laudate E Benedicite Et Rengratiate
31. Oldham: Sacerdos Et Pontifex Sacerdos Et Pontifex