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Angels' Carol
''Angels' Carol'' is a popular sacred choral piece by John Rutter for Christmas. He wrote his own text, beginning "Have you heard the sound of the angel voices", three stanzas with the refrain "Gloria in excelsis Deo". It has been part of recordings of collections of Christmas music, including one conducted by the composer. History Rutter first composed ''Angels’ Carol'' in the 1980s to be performed by the winners of a competition ''choirboy and choirgirl'' in London, now defunct. He later arranged it for mixed-voice choir (SATB), with harp, piano or orchestra. A version for upper voices (SS or SA) is also available. All versions of the work were published by Oxford University Press. Text and music Rutter, who composed many works to celebrate Christmas, wrote his own text for ''Angels' Carol'', beginning "Have you heard the sound of the angel voices". The text alludes to several aspects of the Christmas story, with the Latin refrain "Gloria in excelsis Deo" from the angels ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Rutter
Sir John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutter grew up living over the Globe pub on London's Marylebone Road. He was educated at Highgate School, where fellow pupils included John Tavener, Howard Shelley, Brian Chapple and Nicholas Snowman. As a chorister there, Rutter took part in the first (1963) recording of Britten's '' War Requiem'' under the composer's baton. He thence read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the choir. Whilst an undergraduate, he had his first compositions published, including the " Shepherd's Pipe Carol". He served as director of music at Clare College from 1975 to 1979, and led the choir to international prominence. In 1981, Rutter founded his own choir, the Cambridge Singers, which he conducts, and with which he has made ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Motif (music)
In music, a motif () or motive is a short musical idea, a Salience (neuroscience), salient recurring Figure (music), figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a musical composition, composition. The motif is the smallest structural unit possessing theme (music), thematic identity. History The defines a motif as a "melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic cell (music), cell", whereas the 1958 maintains that it may contain one or more cells, though it remains the smallest analyzable element or phrase within a subject (music), subject. It is commonly regarded as the shortest subdivision of a Theme (music), theme or Phrase (music), phrase that still maintains its identity as a musical idea. "The smallest structural unit possessing thematic identity". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Grove and Éditions Larousse, Larousse also agree that the motif may have harmonic, melodic and/or rhythmic aspects, Grove a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christmas Music
Christmas music comprises a variety of Music genre, genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas and holiday season, Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of Christmas carol, carols, may employ lyrics about Nativity of Jesus, the nativity of Jesus Christ, traditions such as gift-giving and merrymaking, cultural figures such as Santa Claus, or other topics. Many songs simply have a winter or seasonal theme, or have been adopted into the canon for other reasons. Traditional List of Christmas carols, Christmas carols include pieces such as "Silent Night", "Gabriel's Message", "O Holy Night", "Down in Yon Forest" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". While most Christmas songs before the 20th century were of a gospel music, traditional religious character and reflected the Nativity of Jesus, Nativity story of Christmas, the Great Depression brought a stream of U.S. songs that did not explicitly mention the Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is a British classical music record label. It was independent until February 2023, when it was acquired by the Universal Music Group. Under Universal, Hyperion is one of the three main classical record labels, alongside Decca and Deutsche Grammophon. History Hyperion is a British classical label established in 1980, showcasing recordings of music of all genres from the 12th century to the 21st. The company is eponymous with Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. George Edward Perry (known as "Ted") founded the company. Early LP releases include rarely recorded 20th-century British music by composers such as Robin Milford, Alan Bush and Michael Berkeley. The venture's success was sealed with a critically acclaimed and popular disc of music by Hildegard of Bingen, '' A Feather on the Breath of God'' (1985), directed by the medievalist Christopher Page and his group Gothic Voices. After the death on 9 February 2003 of Hyperion Records founder Ted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Musical ensemble, bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All-Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar, and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as compact discs (CDs) replaced LP record, LPs and cassette (format), cassettes as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it, he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hallé Choir
The Hallé Choir is a large symphonic chorus of around 220 singers based in Manchester, England. It was founded as ''Manchester Choral Society'' alongside the Hallé Orchestra in 1858 by Sir Charles Hallé. The choir gives around 15 concerts a year with The Hallé at The Bridgewater Hall and other venues across the UK. Appearing with international conductors and soloists in concert and recordings, the choir performs a repertoire of major choral and operatic works ranging from mainstream pieces to more esoteric pieces and commissions. Recent highlights have included performances of Elgar’s three great oratorios ''The Dream of Gerontius'', ''The Apostles'' and ''The Kingdom'' as the climax to the Hallé’s 2022–2023 season (and all three have also been released on the Hallé’s own multi award-winning CD label), Rachmaninov’s ''The Bells'' with the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder at the 2023 BBC Proms and Fauré’s Requiem with Kahchun Wong, the Hallé’s Principal Conductor. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Layton
Stephen David Layton (born 23 December 1966) is an English conductor. He was raised in Derby, where his father was a church organist. He was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, and subsequently won scholarships to Eton College and then King's College, Cambridge as an organ scholar under Stephen Cleobury. While studying at Cambridge, Layton founded the mixed-voice choir Polyphony in 1986. He was appointed the musical director of the Holst Singers in 1993, replacing Hilary Davan Wetton, who had founded the group in 1978. Layton has been assistant organist at Southwark Cathedral, and musical director of Wokingham Choral Society. From 1997, he was organist and subsequently director of music at the Temple Church. From 1999 to 2004, he was chief conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir. From 2000 to 2012 he was chief guest conductor of the Danish National Vocal Ensemble. From 2006 to 2023, he was director of music at Trinity College, Cambridge. In November 2009, the City of L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
City Of London Sinfonia
City of London Sinfonia (CLS) is an English chamber orchestra based in London. CLS is orchestra-in-residence at Opera Holland Park since 2004 and holds a residency at St Paul's Cathedral. CLS also performs regularly across the city of London in venues from East London clubs to traditional Central London concert halls. It is a registered charity under English law. CLS performs chamber orchestra and ensemble repertoire from the Baroque period to the present day, and has a programming focus on the human voice. History Richard Hickox founded City of London Sinfonia in 1971 and remained its music director and artistic director until his death in November 2008. Past principal guest conductors have included Marin Alsop and Douglas Boyd. In November 2009, CLS announced the appointment of Stephen Layton as its second artistic director, effective with the 2010–2011 season. Simultaneously, CLS announced the appointment of Michael Collins also as principal conductor, effective in S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Cambridge Singers
The Cambridge Singers is an English mixed voice chamber choir formed in 1981 by their director John Rutter with the primary purpose of making recordings under their own label Collegium Records. The group initially comprised former singers from the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, where Rutter had previously been the music director. They have been involved in the last four Fresh Aire albums (about "mankind's curiosities") of the Mannheim Steamroller band, by composer Chip Davis, but they are primarily a classical choral group. They have recorded several highly acclaimed Christmas albums, including ''Christmas Day in the Morning'', '' Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity'', ''Christmas Star'', ''Christmas with the Cambridge Singers'', and ''The Cambridge Singers Christmas Album''. List of albums * ''Gloria'' (1983 and 2005) with Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and City of London Sinfonia * ''Fauré: Requiem and other sacred music'' (1984, 1988 and 2010) * ''Hurry to Beth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imitation (music)
In music, imitation is the repetition of a melody in a polyphonic texture shortly after its first appearance in a different voice. The melody may vary through transposition, inversion, or otherwise, but retain its original character. The intervals and rhythms of an imitation may be exact or modified; imitation occurs at varying distances relative to the first occurrence, and phrases may begin with voices in imitation before they freely go their own ways. Imitation helps provide unity to a composition and is used in forms such as the fugue and canon. Definitions When a phrase recurs exactly as before (except perhaps transposed), it is called strict imitation. A round is thus an example of strict imitation. Repetition is defined as the repetition of a phrase or melody often with variations in key, rhythm, and voice. Different authors define imitation somewhat differently: The point of imitation, "marks the beginning of a series of imitative entries in a con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Refrain
A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music">poetry.html" ;"title="Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry">Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music—the "chorus" of a song. Poetry, Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the villanelle, the virelay, and the sestina. In popular music, the refrain or chorus may contrast with the Verse (popular music), verse melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically; it may assume a higher level of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation. Chorus form, or strophic form, is a sectional and/or additive way of structuring a piece of music based on the repetition of one formal section or block played repeatedly. Usage in history Although repeats of refrains may use different words, refrains are made recognizable by reusing the same melody (whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unison
Unison (stylised as UNISON) is a Great Britain, British trade union. Along with Unite the Union, Unite, Unison is one of the two largest trade unions in the United Kingdom, with over 1.2 million members who work predominantly in public services, including local government, education, health and outsourcing, outsourced services. The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National Association of Local Government Officers, National and Local Government Officers Association (NALGO), the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) and the Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) merged. UNISON's current general secretary is Christina McAnea, who replaced Dave Prentis in 2021. Members and organisation Members of UNISON are typically from industries within the public sector and generally cover both full-time and part-time support and administrative staff. The majority of people joining UNISON are workers within sectors such as local government, e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
