Angelus: French Sacred Song
Marking the hours of the day by praying the Angelus is a tradition dating back to the eleventh century. By the early twentieth century, this devotional prayer was given musical life in Louis Vierne’s triptyque for voice and organ of the same name, whose first and last movements’ timeless quality is imbued with the repetition of the tolling Angelus bell hidden within the accompaniment. The sound of this bell is a recurring theme in this recording, captured in the glorious acoustic of Buckfast Abbey, where the Angelus continues to sound to this day – an unbroken link through the centuries. The lyrical writing of these songs of veneration is given enchanting voice by Sarah Fox, together with a number of premiere recordings including Olivier Messiaen’s O sacrum convivium, performed in its original guise for solo voice and organ.
”The Angelus makes a fascinating theme for this exquisite recital… Fox is splendid throughout, bringing expressive directness to Roger-Ducasse’s Ave Regina cælorum, while her rich vibrato and burnished radiance are on display in Chausson’s harmonically quirky Pater Noster. The delectable performance of Messiaen’s O Sacrum Convivium! in its soprano and organ incarnation is a genuine rarity… Overall, a rewarding recital to enjoy at any time of day.” (BBC Music Magazine)
“…the balance of voice and instruments is perfectly judged and Sarah Fox sings with exceptional vocal beauty while never ceasing to pay attention to the words she is singing… In its mixture of the relatively familiar and the largely unknown, its superb performances and excellent recorded sound, and the joy of hearing the magnificent Ruffatti organ, this is an outstanding disc.” (MusicWeb International)
Track List
Louis Vierne
Les Angelus (Op. 57)
10:47
1
Au matin
3:33
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2
À midi
2:49
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3
Au soir
4:25
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4
César Franck
Panis angelicus (Messe à trois voix, Op. 12)
3:35
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5
Jean Roger-Ducasse
Ave Regina cælorum
2:08
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6
Jean Roger-Ducasse
Salve Regina
2:31
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7
Henri Büsser
Le sommeil de l’enfant Jésus (Op. 3, No. 3)
4:11
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8
Ernest Chausson
Pater noster (Op. 16)
2:32
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9
Louis Vierne
arr. Rupert Gough
À l’Angélus du soir (Op. 17, No. 5)
5:04
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10
Jean Langlais
Ave Maria
1:50
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11
Jean Langlais
O salutaris
3:02
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12
Olivier Messiaen
O sacrum convivium
4:06
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13
Jean Langlais
Angélus (Huit chants de Bretagne, Op. 161)
5;28
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14
André Caplet
Pater noster
3:39
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15
Lili Boulanger
Pie Iesu
4:11
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16
Nadia Boulanger
Lux æterna
2:21
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Flor Peeters
Speculum Vitæ, Op. 57
14:32
17
Night
4:14
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18
Morning
2:58
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19
Midday
3:38
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20
Evening
3:42
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