His Love Endures Forever: Psalms of Thankfulness and Praise – Gloriæ Dei Cantores/ Elizabeth C. Patterson, conductor – GDCD

by | Sep 20, 2008 | Classical CD Reviews | 0 comments

His Love Endures Forever: Psalms of Thankfulness and Praise – Gloriæ Dei Cantores/ Elizabeth C. Patterson, conductor – GDCD 045, 62:54 **** [Distr. By Paraclete Press]:

This is, to cut to the chase, an album of what is commonly called Anglican Chant, or Psalmody. This music really came into its own in the 1800s, and though its background is that of Gregorian Chant, the modifications heard here will in many instances not lead you to think of that august body of work. The Anglican tradition, being largely a sung one as opposed to some of the stricter and more reprobate (in my opinion) Protestant churches where music originally was severely curtailed in form and function, was the well from which most current modern day hymnals find their water. There simply is no finer Protestant body of music anywhere than that found in Britain.

However, I must also indicate that my experience with this music has always been one of understanding tolerance. In other words, there is no doubt that Anglicans love this stuff with a passion; it is part and parcel of their worship tradition for over 200 years now. However, those not in that tradition, upon first coming across it, oft times wonder what the big deal is all about. When you listen to a lot of it at one hearing, even when performed as well as it is on this disc, there is a repetitive sameness that seems to lack a meaningful hook to grab the listener. There is no clue as to what this hook is; it is in fact the living experience of worship that one must encounter with this music in order for it to really make any sense, musically speaking. Pointed musical scores, where choirs sing line after line of the psalms to the basically same rhythmic and melodic patterns, were initially meant to encourage congregational singing of the psalms. It is not uncommon in other traditions as well, east and west. But a whole disc of it, no matter how well done, and no matter how important some of the composers are, can lead to a certain monotony, and those not already familiar with and in love with this type of music deserved to be forewarned.

This is no blemish on the recording at all, done by one of my absolute favorite choral groups in the world. They are marvelously captured in wonderfully resonant sound at the very top of their game. But reading an unopened disc on the outside covers does not indicate to you that this is Anglican Chant and not simply a set of choral settings of the psalms, so proceed accordingly. The notes are excellent, even spiritually oriented, with great detail about each composition. However, they send you to yet another accursed website for the texts to the psalms themselves. I would rather have had them in the large booklet with a little less inspirational jargon.

— Steven Ritter

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