a voice teacher and early music fan
SIXTEEN WELL-PERFORMED HYMNS DERIVED FROM MANY ERAS AND TRADITIONS.
'The HYMN-a word derived from the Greek 'hymnos'-has been defined as 'a term of unknown origin applied from ancient times to a wide variety of songs in honor of gods, heroes or notable men.'
The founder of English hymnody is Isaac Watts (1674-1748), whose work in reforming congregational song texts culminated in the publication of his 'Hymns and Spiritual Songs' in 1707. Watts' collection was as complete and comprehensive a set of hymns as had ever been proposed for English worship and it raised the profile of the hymn sufficiently to overcome the prevailing psalmody.
The great flowering period of English hymnody began with the work of the Methodist hymn-writers John Wesley (1703-1791) and his brother Charles (1707-1788). The Wesleys gave great prominence to hymns within their Methodist worship and published many books.
The modern hymn book is a collection of hymns drawn from various times and places. This most accomplished recording by St. Paul's Cathedral Choir presents 16 well-loved hymns from 'The New English Hymnal'. A great number of the hymns, which originate from many different eras and traditions, are given an extra musical dimension by John Scott's original descants and thrilling brass arrangements.
Over the years, I have found myself purchasing more and more recordings of English choirs. They seem to have incredible vocal skills that include perfectly executed phrases, flawless diction and some unidentifiable ingredient that makes them very appealing to hear. Of course, I personally enjoy the all- male choir sound; boy sopranos and male altos make the difference to me. I am certain that there are many listeners who prefer otherwise. This is a very appealing group of hymns!
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