» Beautiful singing

Some extraordinary choral music
(This page will be intermittently extended as and when I discover anything I like.)

Alfred Schnittke

Choir concerto, IV Sej trud, shto nachinal ja supavan’ jem Alfred Schnittke
Russian State Symphonic Cappella, conducted by Valeri Polyansky
This just the final few minutes of a wonderful 45 minute work for unaccompanied choir, much divided. It must be an absolute pig to sing (stamina, keeping pitch for a start).

Text: Complete this work Which I began in hope And with your name, So that my singing may become healing, Curing the wounds of body and soul. If my humble work is finished With your holy blessing – May the divine spirit in it Join with my meagre inspiration, Do not extinguish The revelation You have granted, Do not abandon my reason, But, again and again, receive praise From your servant Amen. (From the 10th century Armenian poems Book of Lamentations.)

Patrick Cassidy

Vide cor meum Patrick Cassidy
Performed by Libera and the Lyndhurst Orchestra, conducted by Gavin Greenaway. Soloists, Danielle de Niese and Bruno Lazzaretti
Text from the sonnet A ciascun’alma presa, from chapter 3 of Dante’s La vita nuova