Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – Roth: A Time to Dance & Other choral works (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – Roth: A Time to Dance & Other choral works (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:11:48 minutes | 658 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Hyperion Records

Alec Roth’s new oratorio, A Time to Dance, is a celebration of times and seasons. Jeffrey Skidmore and Ex Cathedra, who gave the premiere of the work in 2012, recreate the sheer exuberance of that live performance on this recording. The oratorio is paired with Roth’s Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Hatfield Service) and Men & Angels, a clever setting of John Donne’s Antiphon “Praised be the God of love.”

Composer Alec Roth may be UK-based and of Irish/German descent, but it’s America that provides the musical heritage for his 2012 cantata A Time to Dance, recorded here for the first time by Ex Cathedra.
The hour-long A Time to Dance was written to mark the 50th anniversary of the Summer Music Society of Dorset and has a warmly celebratory cast, the English texts rendered not just singably but with a palpable humanity, the latter impression reinforced by period-instrument accompaniment from Ex Cathedra members. The four soloists mark out the passing seasons. The other pieces are somewhat surplus to requirements, but no one would want to miss Men and Angels for unaccompanied choir, to an antiphonal text by George Herbert. A small treasure of contemporary British music.

Tracklist:

01. Greg Skidmore, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance: Processional ‘Times and Seasons’ (03:06)
02. Greg Skidmore, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance: Prologue ‘Sunrise’ (02:06)
03. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 1 ‘Spring Morning’: Awake (01:35)
04. Grace Davidson, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 1 ‘Spring Morning’: Infant joy (01:10)
05. Grace Davidson, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 1 ‘Spring Morning’: Dancing on the hill-tops (01:19)
06. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 1 ‘Spring Morning’: Dance there (01:55)
07. Grace Davidson, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 1 ‘Spring Morning’: Nothing is so beautiful (01:05)
08. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 1 ‘Spring Morning’: Let them love (03:29)
09. Samuel Boden, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 2 ‘Summer Noon’: In Summer’s heat (03:36)
10. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 2 ‘Summer Noon’: A something (01:37)
11. Samuel Boden, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 2 ‘Summer Noon’: Thirsty fly (01:18)
12. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 2 ‘Summer Noon’: Little fly (02:12)
13. Samuel Boden, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 2 ‘Summer Noon’: Come, let us go (00:41)
14. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 2 ‘Summer Noon’: Give all to love (02:52)
15. Matthew Venner, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 3 ‘Autumn Evening’: O Autumn (01:31)
16. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 3 ‘Autumn Evening’: Humdrum (02:44)
17. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 3 ‘Autumn Evening’: Autumnal (03:02)
18. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 3 ‘Autumn Evening’: Fall, leaves, fall (01:06)
19. Matthew Venner, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 3 ‘Autumn Evening’: The Evening Star (04:00)
20. Greg Skidmore, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 4 ‘Winter Night’: Deep midnight (01:30)
21. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 4 ‘Winter Night’: Snowflakes (02:40)
22. Greg Skidmore, Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 4 ‘Winter Night’: Dregs (01:27)
23. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 4 ‘Winter Night’: A glee for Winter (02:12)
24. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance, Part 4 ‘Winter Night’: Lights out (04:19)
25. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance: Epilogue ‘Sunrise’ (03:20)
26. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – A Time to Dance: After-dance ‘Proper Exercise’ (05:11)
27. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – Magnificat and Nunc dimittis ‘Hatfield Service’: Magnificat (03:35)
28. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – Magnificat and Nunc dimittis ‘Hatfield Service’: Nunc dimittis (03:01)
29. Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore – Men and Angels, ‘Praised be the God of love’ (03:54)

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