Move Records

Psalms for Feasts and Seasons

Christopher Willcock directs the Julian Singers, using various voice groupings to present the psalms. They are accompanied by organ, flute and guitar.

Christopher Willcock's sense of good melody and harmony makes his music easily accessible to congregations and modest choral forces, as well as to more competent groups.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALMS FOR FEASTS AND SEASONS FROM THE COMPOSER:

"The psalms are at once both poetry and prayer, or better, they are sung poetry and sung prayer. They have only half-lives if they are simply recited or read. They are common to the Jewish and the Christian faiths where they are one of the chief methods of prayer, both public and private. The wide range of human expression is echoed within their direct and memorable poetry: praise and lament, exultation and contrition, warlike chant and tender song. The ways in which the psalms have been sung are just as varied. The pattern heard in this collection is described as responsorial. This popular way of singing the psalms is similar to the refrain and verse format of many other songs. Here the refrain section is usually a short text taken from the psalm. It is first sung by a soloist (cantor), repeated by the congregation, and then repeated by them after each stanza of psalm verses sung by the cantor.

"This collection falls into two parts: the first contains psalms traditionally associated with the major celebrations of the Christian liturgical year such as Christmas and Easter (Feasts), while the second contains of a general nature for the rest of the year (Seasons). Their selection was made principally for their suitability as responses after a reading from the Scriptures. Hence, a psalm of penitence would follow a reading on the theme of penitence. Their uses, of course, would extend far beyond this to many other occasions: formally liturgical ones and others less formally structured.

"They may be performed simply or with more elaboration. Obviously too much decoration will blunt the direct appeal of the words. In addition to the organ, the present recording uses sometimes a flute and at others a guitar to provide instrumental variety in the accompaniment. Many worshipping communities have an instrumentalist or two as well as their keyboard player. Judicious experimentation with such instruments will produce many other results that are not attempted here.

"Whether these psalm settings are used to stimulate a Church community to approach the singing of psalms afresh, or more simply as a means for an individual to enter their world of relating to God, the psalm texts themselves will continue to speak to the heart, whether in pain or in gladness."

Christopher Willcock, 2017

Artist

Audio previews

Track Listing

Performers

• Graham Cox · organ
• Robyn Hezky · flute
• Phil Gardner · guitar
• Therese Quinn · soprano · tracks 10 and 15
• Joan Marshall · alto · tracks 2 and 21
• Geoff Lock · tenor · tracks 4, 6, 11, 14, 16 and 19
• Michael Wood · baritone · tracks 3, 17, 20 and 22
• David Rankin · baritone · tracks 1, 5, 8, 14 and 22

Where to buy

Psalms for Feasts and Seasons is available for download from the iTunes Music Store.
It's available for streaming through Apple Music.

Psalms for Feasts and Seasons is available as as CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer secure online ordering.

Move CDs can be ordered through music retailers across Australia including Readings.

Product details

List price

$20.00 AUD (around )

Release date

1977

Copyright

© 1977 Move Records

Phonogram

℗ 1977 Move Records

Category

Choral

Catalogue number

MD 3018

Alternate catalogue number

MD3018

Barcode

EAN 9314574301823