Messe Da Pacem: Music by Pierre Villette, Yves Castagnet and Ravel
The Choir of Royal Holloway presents the debut recording of Pierre Villette’s Messe Da Pacem in a new arrangement for choir and organ by Rupert Gough. Alongside the Mass is Villette’s well-known Hymne à la Vierge, and works by contemporary Parisian composer Yves Castagnet recorded here for the first time. The album opens with a new choral arrangement of Ravel’s ever-popular Pavane pour une infante défunte. The Choir is joined by alumna, and award-winning soprano, Sarah Fox, and accompanied on the newly restored Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre-Dame d’Auteuil in Paris.
★★★★★ ‘Think the soundworld of Debussy and Duruflé, occasionally inflected by jazz-derived harmonies and some churchy counterpoint, and you have Villette’s appealing musical style. …this disc offers an intriguing and revealing listen. The whole programme showcases the choir’s near-ideal blend and fresh, open tone, supported by sensitive organ accompaniment.’ (Choir & Organ)
‘The performances are simply superb… This is a distinguished release in every respect and lovers of French choral music should hasten to hear it.’ (MusicWeb International)
‘Ad Fontes, the recently established Buckfast Abbey-based recording label have done themselves proud with their fourth disc. It enjoys striking clarity… and includes a lavish booklet, complete with organ specifications, comprehensive notes and Latin texts. Once again, the Royal Holloway Choir is on superb form, responding to this glorious music with fresh, well-balanced voices, and overall makes this one of the most rewarding discs I’ve reviewed all year.’ (Opera Today)
★★★★ ‘This disc presents a fine collection of similarly composed French liturgical music, well performed by the young singers from Royal Holloway College… The singing and organ playing is excellent throughout.’ (Organists’ Review)
Track List
1
Maurice Ravel
arr. Rupert Gough
Requiem æternam
7:07
£0.99
Pierre Villette
Messe Da Pacem (Op. 38)
2
Kyrie
4:13
£0.99
3
Gloria
14:11
£0.99
4
Sanctus
5:17
£0.99
5
Benedictus
5:31
£0.99
6
Agnus Dei
5:26
£0.99
7
Pierre Villette
Élévation (Op. 22)
3:45
£0.99
8
Pierre Villette
Hymne à la Vierge (Op. 24)
4:41
£0.99
9
Pierre Villette
Salutation angélique (Op. 20)
3:05
£0.99
Yves Castagnet
Messe Brève
10
Kyrie
1:44
£0.99
11
Gloria
4:48
£0.99
12
Sanctus & Benedictus
2:09
£0.99
13
Agnus Dei
2:58
£0.99
14
Yves Castagnet
Veni Sancte Spiritus
9:32
£0.99