Songs of Angels
ORA Singers / Suzi DigbyHarry Baker (piano)
rec. 2025, St. Augustine’s, Kilburn, London
Texts included
Orchid Classics ORC100423 [77]
I’ve heard, and in many cases reviewed, most if not all of the CDs previously released by ORA Singers and Suzi Digby. Apart from the excellence of the performances, one facet of their work which I’ve greatly admired is their tactic of presenting contemporary music alongside Renaissance polyphony. More than that, though, much of the contemporary repertoire has been specially commissioned by them to complement specific polyphonic pieces on their programmes.
This latest album consists of a programme entitled Songs of Angels which they put together and performed in 2025 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Orlando Gibbons. All ten of Gibbons’ surviving anthems are included, as are the Evening Canticles known as his Short Service. The programme also includes seven of the Songs by Gibbons which were published by George Wither in the collection The Hymnes and Songs of the Church (1623). In an excellent essay on the music, Francis Knights tells us that Gibbons contributed fourteen items to this publication. Five of these have been ‘reimagined’ by the pianist and arranger, Harry Baker, who is active, I understand, in both the jazz and classical spheres; two other ‘Songs’ have been arranged by James Weeks. In addition, there are newly commissioned works by four composers each of which, in line with ORA’s established tradition, takes as their starting point specific pieces by Gibbons which are included in the programme.
The pieces in which we hear Gibbons’ voice, unfiltered, as it were, are all well done, as you’d expect from this group of expert singers. Hosanna to the Son of David, arguably his most famous composition, contains exuberant music and here it’s performed with suitable vigour; the singers achieve great clarity in Gibbons’ teeming polyphony. O clap your hands is scarcely less familiar, and rightly so; the rhythmic vitality of the ORA Singers’ performance makes the music leap off the page. Near the end of the programme, we experience Gibbons in a more reflective vein. O Lord, I lift my heart to thee is a gentle, prayerful piece; the music is lovely and so is the ORA performance, the voices beautifully blended. I am the resurrection is no less memorable. Here, Gibbons sets the words to music that exudes quiet confidence and trust. The piece is beautifully crafted. O Lord, in thee is all my trust is a splendid anthem which completes this trio of pieces, all expertly sung. Earlier, the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis from the Short Service are fine examples of Gibbons’ work; the ORA Singers make an excellent job of them.
So, what of the music that Gibbons has inspired? I suppose I ought to get my one reservation out of the way up-front. It concerns the five Songs that Harry Baker has ‘reimagined’. In the booklet, Suzi Digby points out that in these particular pieces “Gibbons originally set soprano and bass parts only, presumably allowing the organist to realise the inner parts. We have taken this as our inspiration for a freestyle re-imagining of these Songs” She also says that “We’ve given these a 21st century twist with Harry Baker’s unique arrangements with jazzy piano accompaniment”. Let me say at once that I think it’s entirely reasonable to ‘flesh out’, as it were, Gibbons’ sparse originals. Baker has harmonised the voice parts in an effective, if modern, fashion; the harmonies work, I think. What I can’t get comfortable with is the piano additions. These have an improvisatory feel to them and I’m afraid I find them very distracting. It was only after listening to the album for the first time that I read his booklet note. I found it interesting that he specifically referenced “the lineage of genre-busting collaborations such as the Hilliard Ensemble and saxophonist Jan Garbarek”. I’m afraid I’ve never liked those Hilliard/Garbarek collaborations, though I’m aware they have been widely popular so it’s probably me that is out of step. In fairness, I should say that Baker’s piano additions are far less intrusive than Garbarek’s wailing saxophone on the Hilliard discs but even so, it’s not for me, I’m afraid.
Two other Songs have been reimagined by James Weeks and I like these much more, perhaps because no instrument is involved. Who’s this, that leaning on her friend is similar in spirit to Gibbons’ original; the piece sounds like a nicely lilting carol. The treatment of Arise thou North-winde from the North is a bit more elaborate. Here, two soloists are prominent; the soprano Lucy Cox and tenor Jeremy Budd. Their lines weave in and out of the choral texture in a very pleasing fashion. I found this setting effective and affecting.
There are four original compositions which are ‘reflections’ on various Gibbons pieces. In all cases, these are sung immediately after the music by Gibbons which has inspired the composers; that’s very sensible. Marco Galvani’sHosanna to the Son of David impressed me. In keeping with the Gibbons original, Galvani’s music is mostly lively and jubilant. However, unlike Gibbons, who maintains that approach throughout his piece, Galvani has a much quieter, pensive central section. Here, two excellent soloists, soprano Isabella Gibber and mezzo Martha McLorinan, are to the fore. Not only is this reflective episode attractive in its own right, it also means that the rousing conclusion to the piece then makes a stronger effect. Cecilia McDowall’sO clap your hands Re-imagined has great energy from first note to last. I always enjoy this composer’s choral music and this recent offering is no exception.
Three of the composers who reflect on pieces by Gibbons set the same text that he did. The exception is Nicola LeFanu. Her piece Be still, my soul is a reflection on Gibbons’ moving and intense O Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not. However, LeFanu has chosen to set an English translation of some lines from the poem Stille meine Wille by Dorothea von Schiegel (1764-1839). Actually, I think that’s quite a perceptive choice because the sentiment of the words would not be out of keeping with a Gibbons setting. Like her three colleagues, LeFanu takes the Gibbons piece in question as a point of departure. Her composition is intense and intriguing. There are important parts for a solo soprano and tenor (Julie Cooper and Jeremy Budd); the soprano line sounds particularly demanding, taking the soloist up into the stratosphere.
The final reflection, which ends the programme, is by Will Todd. He takes as his inspiration Gibbons’ Veni Creator Spiritus but whereas the Gibbons piece is in English, Todd has reverted to the Latin original. It’s the only one of the pieces – apart from those by Harry Baker – which involves an instrument: there’s a piano part, which is played by Baker. Given my unease with the Baker pieces, you might expect that I’d be similarly disconcerted by the presence of a jazzy piano in Todd’s piece but, slightly to my surprise, that’s not the case. I think there are a couple of reasons for this. One is that the piano decorations seem to be a bit more discreet as an addition to the textures than was the case in the Baker items. I think, though, that the main reason is that, to my ears, Todd has departed more from Gibbons’ original than Baker did, writing music that features a bluesy melodic line and, even more importantly, sumptuous jazz-derived harmonies. In short, I think that Todd has moved on further from Gibbons and, crucially, he keeps the focus on the choir. I like his piece a lot.
Despite my reservations about the five Harry Baker pieces – which other people probably won’t share – this is a most enjoyable and stimulating album from Suzi Digby and the ORA Singers. As usual, the performance standards are very high indeed and the juxtaposition of old and new in the musical content is both successful and rewarding. Engineer Mike Hatch and producer Nick Parker have recorded the performances very successfully and, as I’ve indicated already, the documentation is excellent.
John Quinn
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Contents
Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) arr. Harry Baker (b.1997)
Song 1 – The Song of Moses*
Orlando Gibbons
Hosanna to the Son of David
Marco Galvani (b.1994)
Hosanna to the Son of David*
Orlando Gibbons
Almighty and Everlasting God
Deliver us, O Lord
Orlando Gibbons arr. Harry Baker
Song 34 – The Song of Angels*O clap your hands
Cecilia McDowall (b.1951)
O clap your hands Re-imagined*
Orlando Gibbons
Lift up your heads
O Lord, how do my woes increase
Orlando Gibbons arr. Harry Baker
Song 5 – The Lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan*
Orlando Gibbons
O Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not
Nicola LeFanu (b.1947)
Be still, my soul*
Orlando Gibbons
Magnificat (Short Service)
Nunc Dimittis (Short Service)
Orlando Gibbons arr. James Weeks (b.1978)
Song 18 – Who’s this, that leaning on her friend
Orlando Gibbons arr. James Weeks (b.1978)
Song 14 – Arise thou North-winde from the North
Orlando Gibbons arr. Harry Baker
Song 22 – The Song of Hezekiah*
Orlando Gibbons
O Lord, I lift my heart to thee
I am the resurrection
O Lord, in thee is all my trust
Orlando Gibbons arr. Harry Baker
Song 44 – Veni Creator Spiritus*
Will Todd (b.1970)
Veni Creator*
*Denotes ORA Singers Commission
