'Music for Passiontide' Guildford Cathedral LP 1967 (Rose)

A commercial LP recorded in Guildford Cathedral in November & December 1967 and released commercially on the Guild label in the following year. With the choir of Guildford Cathedral, directed by Barry Rose, accompanied by Gavin Williams (organ), Alison Herbert (oboe) and Angela Hardie (cello).

The LP was re-mastered and re-issued on CD by Guild in 1997; however, due to technical problems with the master-tape the Miserere was not included on the CD re-issue. This transcription is from the LP complete with the Miserere in all its glory!

At the time this recording was made, the only other British choir to have recorded Allegri’s “Miserere” was King’s College Cambridge.

1. Go to dark Gethsemane (Johann Sebastian Bach)
2. Chorale prelude: Christus, der uns selig macht (Johann Sebastian Bach)
3. Lord, hear my prayer (William Byrd)
4. Chorale Prelude: Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (Johann Sebastian Bach)
5. Miserere mei Deus (William Byrd)
6. I would beside my Lord be watching [St Matthew Passion] (Johann Sebastian Bach)*
7. Drop, drop, slow tears (Orlando Gibbons)
8. Out of the deep (Thomas Morley)**
9. Chorale Prelude: Hilf Gott, dass mir’s gelinge (Johann Sebastian Bach)
10. Have mercy upon me, O God [The “Miserere”] (Gregorio Allegri)***

* soloist: Gordon Anderson (tenor)
** soloist: Clifford Mould (tenor)
*** soloists: John Dexter & Roderick Taylor (trebles), Michael Barry (alto), Clifford Mould & David Gibbs (tenors)

For those who are interested, the extensive sound archive of Guildford Cathedral Choir (1961-1974) can be found at    / archivesofsound  .