Ned Rorem (1923-2022)
Choral Works
St Martin’s Voices / Andrew Earis
Piatti Quartet
rec. 2024, St John’s Church, Upper Norwood, London.
Texts included
Resonus RES10356 [57]
I’ve long admired the music of Ned Rorem and have in my collection quite a number of discs devoted to his music, some of which have been reviewed on MusicWeb. We’ve covered several recordings of his orchestral music (review ~ review ~ review ) and of his outstanding contributions to the art song repertoire (review ~ review ~ review). I was also very impressed with his 2005 opera Our Town (review). I’ve referenced these various discs for a reason: to remind readers of the availability of Rorem’s music on CD. The music of a composer can often experience neglect after his or her death and it would be a shame if that happened to this fine American composer. I hope it’s not significant that the last Rorem disc of which I’m aware was the recording of Our Town, released in 2017. This new disc devoted to some of his choral music is, therefore, extremely welcome. Furthermore, it’s a particular pleasure that it’s a British ensemble that has committed these pieces to disc.
My first serious encounter with Rorem’s choral music came when, on a holiday trip to the USA a good few years ago, I bought a disc entitled ‘Sing, my Soul’ by the vocal ensemble Concora directed by Richard Colley (Albany TROY 307). The disc in question was recorded in 1998 in tribute to the composer on his 75th birthday. Concora’s programme included several of the items on the St Martin’s Voices disc, including the Seven Motets for the Church Year but there’s sufficient distinction between the two programmes that anyone who has the Concora disc won’t be faced with excessive duplication. I don’t intend making detailed comparisons between the two, largely because the two ensembles are so different: Concora consists of 36 singers compared with the 13 who constitute St Martin’s Voices. I will say, though, that I much prefer the clearer, cleaner recorded sound on the new disc.
I’ve heard St Martin’s Voices previously, on their 2023 album A Winter Breviary which I thought was very good (review). The group is the professional choral ensemble of the famous church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The group gives concerts at the church and elsewhere and they sing at special services at St Martins. Here, they confirm the impression I gained from their previous CD: this is a flexible, highly accomplished ensemble which sings to a very high standard indeed. On this disc they’re joined for three items by the Piatti Quartet. The Quartet, augmented by double bassist Toby Hughes, join with the choir for Two Psalms and a Proverb. Though almost all of the remaining works are for unaccompanied voices, two were originally conceived for accompaniment by either piano or organ. These are How lovely is your dwelling place and Little lamb, who made thee? Rorem’s use of a small string ensemble in Two Psalms and a Proverb provided the stimulus for Tom Shorter to arrange the original accompaniment those other two works for string quartet. I think he’s done an excellent job in both cases. Incidentally, Little lamb, who made thee? appears on the Concora disc in its original form with organ. Having now heard the piece with the more subtle sounds of a string quartet, I prefer it in that version rather than with organ.
The first piece that, years ago, made me sit up and take notice of Rorem as a choral composer was Sing my soul, his wondrous love. It’s a little gem of a piece; the music is disarming in its simplicity and the beautifully judged performance by Andrew Earis and St Martin’s Voices is a delight. In the same vein is Love divine, all loves excelling. In his notes Frank J Oteri describes it as a “relatively straightforward homophonic chorale” That’s absolutely right, but Rorem’s setting of Wesley’s famous hymn (to his own original tune) is beguiling. I love it and the polished performance by St Martin’s Voices is ideal.
It was shrewd planning to include in the programme both Rorem’s first choral work and also his last. The Four Madrigals (1947) set words by Sappho in English translation. The four pieces are succinct – the second one plays for just 0:26 and the whole set takes only about six minutes to perform. Already, though, we can tell that Rorem is a composer acutely sensitive to words and very discerning both in his selection of words and in the way he sets them. Frank Oteri puts it far better than I have when he speaks of the composer’s “signature approach to multi-voice text setting…a carefully crafted mixture of direct homophony and occasional unobtrusive contrapuntal layering, all in the service of the words.” I was particularly struck by the first Madrigal, ‘Parting’, which is beautiful and tender, and by the sensual, flowing nature of the final ‘An Absent Friend’. Right at the other end of Rorem’s career – at least as regards choral music – comes Ode to Man (2005). This was commissioned by the St Louis Chamber Chorus to mark their 50th anniversary. Rorem set words from Socrates’ Antigone in an English translation by the choir’s conductor, Philip Barnes. That choir subsequently made the first recording of the work, which is how I first became acquainted with it (review). I admired both work and performance in that first recording and this new recording is no less successful.
All the other music on the disc is sacred. As Frank Oteri reminds us, Rorem was “a devout atheist” but this in no way prevented him from composing settings of sacred texts that were, as was usual with this composer, sensitive and highly suitable to the words he chose. I referred earlier to Two Psalms and a Proverb. This work is in three sections. The central section consists of lines from the Book of Proverbs; the two outer sections use verses from Psalms 133 and 13. Both of the Psalm settings evidence Rorem’s gift for warm, expressive harmonies and lovely melodies. The central section sets words from the Book of Proverbs which warn against the risks of drinking wine. I learned from the notes that, amusingly, Rorem dedicated this part of the piece to the daughter of a music critic. She shared the same birth date as Rorem but was much younger; she was about to turn four! Rorem wittily added to the dedication that she ‘need not yet heed these words’. In contrast to the lyrical outer sections of the work, there’s a lot of pizzicato in the accompaniment and the choral writing is quite jagged.
The Seven Motets for the Church Year (1986) all take short texts associated with various dates in the liturgical calendar. I like them all and I appreciate the way that Rorem rarely takes an obvious route. So, for instance, as its title suggests, he used not a festive text for Christmas but, instead, one that is associated with the quiet wonder of the first Christmas Night. He does, however, allow himself the luxury of ending this lovely little piece with an ‘Alleluia’ which celebrates the joy of the Incarnation. ‘Lay up [for] yourselves [treasure]’, for Ash Wednesday is pensive and very lovely, featuring flowing melody. If in ‘God is gone up’ Rorem is “conventionally” celebratory – the piece is rhythmically vivacious – then in ‘Today the holy spirit appeared’ he marks Pentecost with thoughtful music which has more than a touch of mystery to it. This latter piece is led by a prominent soprano solo; the excellent soloist is Daisy Walford, a member of the choir. Finally, ‘Rejoice we all in the Lord’ is for the Feast of All Saints and once again Rorem surprises: rather than a celebration, this is a surprisingly tranquil piece which conveys a sense of awe. These motets are miniature masterpieces and they’re given excellent performances by Andrew Earis and his choir.
The opening piece on the programme is Festive Alleluias. Like Randall Thompson, Rorem restricts himself to just one word, ‘Alleluia’ but he subjects the word to significant musical invention and variety in a short time span. It’s a stimulating piece. There’s only one piece which doesn’t use English words. This is O magnum mysterium, a most fluent piece, enriched by wonderful harmonies.
All the pieces on this disc, including those I haven’t specifically mentioned, are sophisticated, polished and refined. Once again, a CD gives us the opportunity to listen to music by Ned Rorem and to remind ourselves of its enduring quality. Rorem is extremely well served by the performers. The five string players make very good contributions but, inevitably, it’s the singers who are to the fore. The members of St Martin’s Voices offer performances that are highly accomplished and very sensitive to both words and music. Andrew Earis has clearly prepared them thoroughly and directs them expertly.
The technical side of the project was in the hands of producer/engineer Adam Binks. He’s done a fine job; the recorded sound is excellent. The notes by Frank Oteri are succinct and authoritative.
This is a very rewarding disc which I enjoyed very much.
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Contents
Festive Alleluias (1992)
How lovely is your dwelling place (1994)
(arr. for choir and string quartet by Tom Shorter)
Sing my soul, his wondrous love (1955)
O magnum mysterium (1978)
Canticle of the Lamb (1971)
Little lamb, who made thee? (1982)
(arr. for choir and string quartet by Tom Shorter)
Seven Motets for the Church Year (1986)
1. While all things were in quiet silence (Christmas)
2. Before the morning star begotten (Epiphany)
3. Lay up yourselves (Ash Wednesday)
4. Praise him who was crucified (Easter)
5. God is gone up (Ascension)
6. Today the holy spirit appeared (Pentecost)
7. Rejoice we all in the Lord (All Saints)
Two Psalms and a Proverb (1962)
Behold how good and how pleasant it is
Wounds without Cause
How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord
Four Madrigals (1947)
Parting
Flowers for the Graces
Love
An Absent Friend
Ode to Man (2005)
Love divine, all loves excelling (1966)
