Album

This disc of Elgar's choral music recorded in 1997 and 1999 is one of the last recordings conductor Richard Marlow made with the Trinity College Choir, Cambridge, before retiring, and, thankfully, it's as sweet as honey and even more nourishing. With the glaring exception of his well-loved oratorio The Dream of Gerontius and, of course, Land of Hope and Glory, Elgar's choral music is relatively obscure, but the 15 works on this disc can be considered as representative of the composer's style as his better known Enigma Variations or Violin Concerto. There is a mood of deep spirituality throughout, and the level of craft shows Elgar to have been a highly skilled and expressive choral composer. Marlow and the men and boys of Cambridge turn in performances that meet the music technical requirements and surpass the music's interpretive demands. As always with this fine choir under Marlow, the balances are ideal, the articulation clear, the pronunciation clean, the intonation solid, and the ensemble smoothly polished. More gratifying is the level of heart and soul offered to Elgar's neglected music. Recorded in lush, rich digital sound, this disc offers a great deal, especially to fans of Elgar's better-known works.

© James Leonard, Rovi

CD 1
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Give unto the Lord (Psalm 29), anthem for chorus, organ and orchestra ad lib, Op.74 Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
1	Give unto the Lord (Psalm 29), anthem for chorus, organ and orchestra ad lib, Op.74	7:56			$1.49
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Ave verum (motet), Op.2, No.1 Work Recorded 1999 Thomas Blunt Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
2	Ave verum (motet), Op.2, No.1	2:58			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Ave Maria gratia plena (motet), Op.2 No.2 Work Recorded 1999 Thomas Blunt Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
3	Ave Maria gratia plena (motet), Op.2 No.2	2:34			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Ave maris stella (motet), Op.2, No.3 Work Recorded 1999 Thomas Blunt Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Rachel Bennett Soprano, Richard Marlow Director
4	Ave maris stella (motet), Op.2, No.3	4:31			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Lux Christi ('The Light of Life'; oratorio), Op.29 Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
5	1.Meditation	5:11			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer O Hearken Thou, offertory for chorus, organ and orchestra, Op.64 Work Recorded 1999 Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director, Mark Williams Organ
6	O Hearken Thou, offertory for chorus, organ and orchestra, Op.64	2:21			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Goodmorrow, for chorus Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
7	Goodmorrow, for chorus	4:00			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Te Deum and Benedictus, for chorus, orchestra and organ, Op.34 Work Recorded 1997 18:46 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director, Mark Williams Organ
8	1.Te Deum laudamus	11:46			$1.99
9	2.Benedictus	7:00			$1.49
Sir Edward Elgar Composer I Sing the birth, carol for chorus Work Recorded 1997 Geoffrey Silver Tenor, Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Rachael Spicer Alto, Richard Marlow Director, Mark Holmes Bass
10	I Sing the birth, carol for chorus	4:06			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Lux Christi ('The Light of Life'; oratorio), Op.29 Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
11	8.Doubt not thy Father's care!	2:57			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Fear not, O Land, harvest anthem for chorus and organ Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
12	Fear not, O Land, harvest anthem for chorus and organ	3:23			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Lux Christi ('The Light of Life'; oratorio), Op.29 Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
13	16.Light of the World, we know Thy praise	4:36			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer They are at rest, anthem for chorus Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Richard Marlow Director
14	They are at rest, anthem for chorus	3:06			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Great is the Lord (Psalm 48), anthem for chorus and organ, Op.67 Work Recorded 1997 Andrew Lamb Organ, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge Chorus/Choir, Angus Wilson Baritone, Richard Marlow Director, Mark Williams Organ
15	Great is the Lord (Psalm 48), anthem for chorus and organ, Op.67	10:16			$1.99