Search - Choir of All Saints Beverly Hills, Jay Tuttle, Camille King :: A Festival Song: The Music of Craig Phillips

And this is only the tip of the iceberg...

altoman | Springfield, VA | 09/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Craig Phillips is a gifted composer, and this disc reveals only a part of his genius. As a brilliant yet practical organist, he has written a large number of organ works based on hymn tunes that are possibly the finest works in this genre being written today. So many composers are content to just come up with a counter-theme and set the tune pretty much straight through, but Phillips uses the melody as a basis for a work, fragmenting and rhythmically altering it so that you know what the piece is based on without being hit over the head with the tune. And there is a wealth of other very fine choral works that are not recorded here.



But enough about what's not here. What is here is a wonderful recording of much wonderful music. To any choral director contemplating programming the first work, the Benedictus Dominus Deus, be forewarned that you will need to have a fine organist at hand. This is a joyful and exuberant work. It is followed by the more introspective "Teach me my God and King", one of the finest settings of George Herbert poetry around.



I know that some church musicians are a little put off by the text of "The House of Faith has many rooms", because it does not subscribe to the "my way (Jesus) or the highway" approach of some groups. I would only remind them that Jesus said that in his Father's house were many mansions, and that he also said that he had sheep that were "not of this fold" (meaning his followers). It is a beautiful work, and in this time when religious tolerance is much-needed, it has a message that needs to be heard.



"And I saw the holy city" was unpublished (to my disbelief) at the time this recording was issued, but was just released by Oxford University Press this past July (2004). This work is constructed as a great arch, with the capstone being the revelation of "the glory of God". "Ride on, ride on in majesty" underlines the cruel irony of Palm Sunday: the rapturous greetings of the crowd as a prelude to the Crucifixion. Many settings of this text focus on the "majesty" without giving weight to the phrase "in lowly pomp ride on to die." Phillips manages to do both, and in doing so has created a classic Palm Sunday anthem. "Keep watch, dear Lord" is a setting of a prayer often used at Compline in the Episcopal Church, and it seems to evoke a quiet confidence that the prayer will be answered.



It is interesting to me that the three works for instrument and organ all involve instruments that play in the tenor/bass range. I would be interested to know whether that was a function of the availability of musicians to play those parts, or a function of who commissioned the works, or a deliberate timbral choice. While all are fine works that deserve to be heard, I was powerfully struck and profoundly moved by "A Song Without Words for Cello and Organ" composed by Craig in memory of his brother. This is truly a masterpiece, and the publishing industry has lost its collective senses if this does not find a publisher soon.



There are hardly enough superlatives for the music on this disc, and, while the performances were fine, there were a few times when I thought the choir, particularly the sopranos and tenors, took on an edginess in their tone that did not serve the music well. This is music that benefits from a warm choral sound. I suspect that part of the problem was that the conductor prefers a sound with little or no vibrato, and that can lead to stridency in the upper register of all but the very finest singers. A little more red-bloodedness in the singing would not have been amiss.



That said, all I really want to know is when does volume 2 come out? And when will Craig issue a recording of his organ works?"

A Triumph!

altoman | 02/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Craig is one of the most gifted, accomplished, and prolific composers in the United States. From the festive opening Song of Zechariah (Benedictus Dominus Deus) to the brilliant closing A Festival Song (text of Walt Whitman, with full orchestra, commissioned by CoroAllegro, Jack Warren Burnam, Music Director), this disc is a stunning treasury of Craig's work. His setting of Psalm 34 is melodic and compelling. A George Herbert text is heard to delightfully gentle music. Carl Daw's inspired text The House of Faith Has Many Rooms receives a sensitive choral treatment. The Revelation verses for the triumphant And I saw the Holy City were set on commission (appropriately) for All Sants' Church; this splended work, now published by Oxford University Press, would be a great addition to an All Saints' Day Sunday service. The Evening Prayer mission collect Keep Watch, Dear Lord would grace a Choral Evensong. The signature Palm Sunday text Ride On in Majesty makes an excellent and largely lyrical anthem, a contrast to any of the competing hymn tunes.Four wonderful instrumental works provide contrast: a rich Serenade for Horn and Organ, a Pastorale for Bassoon and Organ, a jubilant Fanfare for Organ, and A Song without Words for Cello and Organ (this last written in memory of Craig's brother Brooks). Three of these are (or were at the time of release) unpublished, bu I hope that these eminently usable works will find their way into the repertory. Soloists Paul Klintworth, William Wood, and John Walz (respectively) are all excellent. Craig's musical language is always accessible and appealing, as well as lovingly crafted.Tom's choral forces rise fully to the challenges of the music, with subtelty as well as brilliance, and always projecting rich tone, fine diction, and genuine musical understanding. The liner includes Byron Adams' extended essay on Craig, full texts, credits (including information about publishers), and candid photos. Joe Bellamy's engineering capturs the sound of the choirs, the Casavant/Rosales/Schlilcker organ, and the acoustic of the church."