Bryan Kelly: St Francis of Assisi and Other Works

Born in 1934, Bryan Kelly has been an exuberant presence in British musical life for over five decades. He studied composition at the Royal College of Music in London with Gordon Jacob and Herbert Howells. Further study followed in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. Bryan Kelly has written works in all the main Classical musical genres: symphony, concerto, opera, solo piano, as well as lighter orchestral music, works for brass band, and a notably a distinguished number of vocal works, including ‘Kelly in C’ of 1965 – a ground-breaking and uplifting setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, utilising Latin American rhythms. He writes in an approachable style, with an emphasis on strong melodic lines and rhythms, and demonstrates a consummate control of texture and colour. This new recording features three works for choir. The first is a major cantata from 1981 for four soloists, choir, and orchestra, based on the life of St Francis of Assisi, written in collaboration with poet, John Fuller. ‘At the round earth’s imagin’d corners’ from 1977, commissioned by the Sheffield Bach Choir, is a sequence of six settings of intense religious texts from the 15th to 17th centuries for solo tenor, choir, and string orchestra. ‘For adoration’ is a more recent work, published in 2001, and is a set of five short anthems in contrasting styles for upper voices and organ. The Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, under their director, Sarah MacDonald, has established an enviable reputation in their ongoing series of distinguished albums, each devoted to a single contemporary composer, in addition to their themed releases, including ‘The Eternal Ecstasy’ – a survey of music in ‘The Ecstatic Style’ – which was Classic FM’s ‘Album of the Week’ in July 2013. Canadian-born Sarah MacDonald was the first female Director of Music in an Oxbridge College Chapel, and recently celebrated 25 years in this role. She combines this with being Director of the Girl Choristers of Ely Cathedral, and is currently University Organist at Cambridge, and President of the Royal College of Organists.

1: Can You See a Man Walking Upon the Hills?
2: Francis, You Were Not Like Other Men
3: You, Francisco Bernadone
4: How Can We Understand?
5: And Francis Preached Before the People
6: I, Clara Sciffi
7: Dear Sister Clare
8: The Little Hooded Lark
9: And Francis Preached to All the Birds at Bevagna
10: Little Brother Francis
11: Through That Eye
12: I Am the Sultan
13: Be Glorified, My Lord
14: Little Sister Lark
15: At the Round Earth's Imagin'd Corners
16: Never Weather-beaten Sail
17: Oh My Blacke Soule!
18: Drop, Drop, Slow Tears
19: Done Is a Battell On the Dragon Blak
20: Wilt Thou Forgive That Sin?
21: Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life
22: Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
23: O Thou Who Camest from Above
24: My Spirit Longs for Thee
25: For Adoration Seasons Change

Composer: Bryan Kelly

Number of Discs: 1

Orchestra: Britten Sinfonia

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