Set Upon The Rood

Kenny, Patrick; Mercieca, Nathan; Brown, Barnaby; Taylor, Bill; Kenny, John; Walder, Eleanor; Harrison, Catherine; Webber, Geoffrey; Pau, Kavi; Robinson, James; Hull, Corinne; Bick, Stephen; How, Michael; Webster, Alice; Willis, Clover; Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; Leitch, James; Frame, Malachy; Thompson, Humphrey; Wittchen, Aleksandra; Griffiths, Clare Lloyd; Furness, Pollyanna

Three years after the runaway success of In Praise of St Columba, its previous collaboration with piper Barnaby Brown, the ever-innovative Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge reunites with Brown – now also joined by lyre player Bill Taylor and ancient brass specialists John and Patrick Kenny. All four are members of the European Music Archaeology Project, whose own ongoing collaboration with Delphian has captivated listeners and reviewers with its glimpses of the sound of Europe’s ancient instruments. Here, those extraordinary sonorities blend with and emerge around the Caius singers’ committed contributions in seven richly conceived new pieces; a world premiere commission by Sir James MacMillan sets up the Celtic theme. Stevie Wishart writes: “Composing new music for ancient instruments is very much part of my work as a composer. I like building on and learning from music traditions of the past, especially as it is these old instruments that can sound new to our ears today, but as forgotten friends rather than strangers from the future.” This recording is dedicated to the memory of John Chumrow OBE, whose financial support made this project possible.

Price: $28.98