22 October 2019
The Chorus met up with the world-famous Black Dyke Band in a Sheffield church last night, to record John Rutter’s Gloria for the band’s forthcoming CD. ‘We’re getting used to recording with this wonderful brass band’ said Chorus Chair Paul Henstridge, ‘We joined Halifax Choral Society and the Yorkshire Youth Choir to record Philip Wilby’s new oratorio The Holy Face with them in 2015, and the band’s last CD featured Paul Mealor’s Paradise, a piece that sandwiches beautiful choral sections around a fiendishly difficult brass-only section in the middle.’
The recording was made in the atmospheric surroundings of a Sheffield church – St Peter’s and St Oswald’s on Bannerdale Road. ‘We chose St Oswald’s because they have hosted a recording session with us before and looked after us well on that occasion.’ said Administrator Anne Adams. ‘That was quite some years ago, when we recorded one of those special ‘in-between’ chunk for Songs of Praise, with atmospheric lighting and dry ice swirling around. No filming this time of course, and everything went well, thanks to everyone at St Oswald’s’
John Rutter’s Gloria was composed in 1974 for choir, brass, percussion and organ, with an alternative version for choir and orchestra. Described as “exalted, devotional and jubilant”, it was Rutter’s first commission from the US. Structured in three movements and based on the Gloria from the Latin mass, it was always intended as a concert piece.
The Gloria will feature on the Black Dyke Band’s next CD. For more information about Black Dyke Gold VII featuring Paradise, or The Holy Face, see Buy Our Recordings and Books.