New CD recreates the music of St Peter’s Day at York Minster

Picture shows: The York Minster Choir, with Director of Music, Robert Sharpe, celebrates the launch of its new CD

With the imposing new statue of St Peter now visible above the scaffold on York Minster’s East End, the music performed in his honour has been turned into a new CD launched this week at the cathedral.

The CD is entitled ‘St Peter’s Day at York Minster’ and captures the music performed by the York Minster Choir during its patronal festival, which takes place on the last Sunday in June to co-incide with St Peter’s Day on 29 June.  A total of 22 tracks capture the three sung services of the Festival – Eucharist, Matins and Evensong – with the uplifting voices of the choristers, choral scholars and songmen conducted by director of music, Robert Sharpe, and accompanied by David Pipe on the organ.

“York Minster’s full title is the ‘Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York’, so St Peter is well represented both within the building itself – with statues on both the East and West End – and within the ecclesiastical life of the Minster.  St Peter’s Day one of the key celebrations in our calendar,” comments the Dean of York, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull.  “This year, we marked St Peter’s Day with the blessing of the new statue on the East End, so it seems only fitting that we continue the celebration by sharing the music of the feast day beyond the cathedral’s precincts with this new CD.”

The CD features a range of music from some of the nation’s best known choral composers, including many who have links to York Minster, past and present. 

"St Peter's Day at York celebrates a typical Sunday of music for Eucharist, Matins and Evensong as might be sung on St Peter's Day,” explains Robert Sharpe.  “It includes the first recording of David Briggs' French-inspired ‘Missa Brevis’, written for the Minster and Philip Moore's ‘Jubilate Deo’.  Moore, who celebrated his 70th birthday last year, was Master of the Music for 25 years and his ‘O Quam Gloriosum’, written for St Peter's Day in 1986, is also recorded.  Richard Shephard retired as Chamberlain this summer, and his Responses and celebratory anthem, ‘And When The Builders’ are also recorded alongside other classic works including the fizzing ‘Coronation Te Deum’ by Walton with which the disc ends."

The CD is available exclusively from the York Minster Shop within the cathedral until its national release in early 2015, and is priced at £10.  “This will make a fantastic gift for anyone who loves York.  Customers who buy our CDs at this time of year frequently tell us that they make a wonderful accompaniment to Christmas dinner,” adds York Minster’s retail manager, Graeme Ward, “and, of course, this is just the latest in a series of CDs featuring the York Minster Choir that we have available.”

St Peter’s Day at York Minster was recorded by Regent Records and has a playing time of 79 minutes, 28 seconds.

Copies of the CD can be purchased via York Minster’s online shop at www.yorkminster.org/shop

ENDS

Notes to editors:

A copy of the accompanying photograph is also available to download from:

http://news.cision.com/york-minster

The full running order of the CD is as follows:

The Eucharist 

1          Bell and Aisle Prayer Cantor: Richard Shephard 1:08

2          Hymn Christ is made the sure foundation (tune: Westminster Abbey) — Henry Purcell 2:39              Missa Brevis (2012) (for York Minster) — David Briggs (1st recording)

3          Kyrie eleison 2:33 

4          Gloria in excelsis Deo 6:06 

5          Sanctus 1:34

6          Benedictus 1:43 

7          Agnus Dei 3:16

8          Tu es Petrus — Maurice Duruflé 0:45

9          Psalm 150 — Chant: George Surtees Talbot 2:11

Matins

10        Preces (for Salisbury Cathedral) — Richard Shephard Cantor: Richard Shephard 1:12                  

11        Venite  — Chant: Samuel Arnold 2:18                      

12        Psalm 71:1–6, 15–17 — Chant: Francis Jackson 3:32

13        Te Deum Laudamus in C — Charles Villiers Stanford 7:40

14        Jubilate Deo — Philip Moore 3:05

15        Responses and Collects (for Salisbury Cathedral) — Shephard 5:51

16        And when the builders — Shephard 4:40

Evensong        

17        Holy is the true light — William Henry Harris 1:52

18        Psalm 138 — Chant: Thomas Attwood 3:02

            Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for New College, Oxford — Herbert Howells

19        Magnificat 5:56 

20         Nunc Dimittis 2:37

21        O quam gloriosum — Moore 6:19

22        Coronation Te Deum - William Walton arr Simon Preston and Mark Blatchly 9:23

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk