Merbecke Communion Service (Arr. by Healey Willan) –Music of the Anglican Liturgy Canada BCP 1962 скачать в хорошем качестве

Merbecke Communion Service (Arr. by Healey Willan) –Music of the Anglican Liturgy Canada BCP 1962

The music presented here has been digitized from a vinyl LP record entitled “Music of the Anglican Liturgy – Canada”, which was produced in late 1963 or early 1964. This recording was prepared at the request of the Anglican Book Centre as a guide to the music of the 1962 Prayer Book, and is sung by the choir of Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto under the direction of John M. Hodgins with Roma Page Lynde at the organ. Precentors: The Rev. Llewellyn Graham and Mr. Giles Bryant. Recording director: Keith C. MacMillan. See: https://prayerbook.ca/musical-setting... -------- The Scores are taken from the Hymn book of the Anglican Church of Canada (1972), according to “The Office of Holy Communion set to Music by John Merbecke” with organ accompaniment by Healey Willan. Introductory notes by the production supervisor, John Cozens During more than four hundred years the Service Music of John Merbecke has survived neglect, misuse and even attacks by the Church it was designed to serve. Perhaps its return to a wider use than Merbecke could have foreseen is due in part to the great revival of all music from medieval and renaissance times, a revival in which the Anglican Church of Canada is just beginning to share. But there can be no doubt that the work of Dr. Healey Willan has focused attention upon this music in Canada. His first edition of 1934 was included in the hymnal of five years later but enjoyed very limited use during the next ten years or so. It was heard more frequently during that time in other religious communities than the one for which it was written and arranged. Then, as in other generations, its almost perfect combination of liturgical aptness and congregational simplicity restored its fortunes. By 1959, not only was it revised for inclusion in the music of the new Prayer Book, but a separate edition for public use was once again necessary. It is this new edition which provides the music sung on the present record. The well-known musicologist, H.C. Colles, in his preface to a book on Merbecke’s music1 says: “[this] music, it has often been pointed out, lacks both the free arabesque of plainsong and the intertwined phrases of Latin polyphony. But in accepting the limitation Merbecke became the pioneer of a native song. The syllable-to-a-note principle called attention to the existence of certain natural verbal rhythms inherent in the English language … Once these verbal rhythms were recognized, English music had begun to take shape from the English language.” Merbecke assigned certain definite time-values to his notation and this does give us clues to the pronunciation of his day. But the English of today is very different and the edition of Healey Willan as sung on this record2 makes it possible for modern English to be sung fluently and rhythmically by the average congregation and choir. Opinion is still divided on the matter of organ accompaniment to the liturgical music of Merbecke’s era, but without overlooking some glorious exceptions the Church has accepted, nay even required, accompaniment to its liturgical texts for congregational use. On this record the emphasis has been on the text and singing, and therefore the organ was skilfully played by Roma Page Lynde so that it did not intrude upon the singing. Some organists, however, may wish to provide greater variety and colour in their accompaniment, but this should not be done until the singing is secure and well-defined. ____ 00:00 Responses to the Commandments 00:40 Threefold Kyrie 00:58 Credo (Nicene Creed) 04:02 Sursum Corda 05:15 Sanctus et Benedictus 05:55 Pax & Agnus Dei 06:59 Pater noster (Lord's Prayer) 08:07 Gloria in excelsis