Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This album brings us two major choral works from two contrasting English composers, both born in the Victorian age and both working on into the 20th century. However, other than being dead white Englishmen, the two are quite different. Charles Hubert Hastings Parry was born in 1848, educated at Eton and Oxford and was very much part of the musical establishment with positions at the University of Oxford and the new Royal College of Music. However, other than "Jerusalem" and some choral works within the Anglican tradition he is now largely forgotten by the general music listening public. Edward Elgar was born in 1857 and spent much of his life as a working musician, never quite part of the establishment in part because of his relatively humble background and more significantly because of his Roman Catholicism but for many music lovers Elgar is much better known than Parry: think of Enigma, Gerontius, Nimrod, the cello concerto, and others according to taste. However, for this listener, it is Parry's contribution to this album that made me sit up and take notice whereas Elgar's share, while pleasant enough, did not match any of his more famous compositions. Parry's 'De Profundis' is a large-scale setting of Psalm 130 that takes us across an emotional spectrum from penitence to hope and is filled with interest both spiritually and musically. The anthem "God is our hope and strength" complements it well. Elgar's half of the album is "From the Bavarian Highlands" (Opus 27) and while it is pleasant enough - faint praise - it is a little like looking at an elderly relative's holiday pictures. Nice enough but not like being there yourself. However, I am sure there are Elgar aficionados out there who will be pleased to hear this and the combined forces of the Hertfordshire Chorus, the London Mozart Players, and various soloists, all well marshalled by conductor David Temple, do a splendid job at bringing out the music of both composers.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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