Sam Corkin

Siglo de Oro: Drop down, ye heavens

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson ~ Leave a comment

Drop down, ye heavens
Advent antiphons for choir and saxophone
Siglo de Oro, Patrick Allies, director, Sam Corkin, saxophones
Delphian DCD34184. 64’45

I reviewed the concert given by Siglo de Oro during the 2016 Spitalfields Winter Festival (here), and have now been sent the CD that includes most of the music from that concert, including the eight ‘O antiphons’ commissioned by the group. These are based on the Catholic tradition of including special Magnificat antiphons, each beginning with the letter ‘O’, during Advent week services. The well-known Advent hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel, is a paraphrase of one of these antiphons. Each of the new commissions (all in English) adds the distinctive sounds of a saxophone to the choir. Acting as a foil to the eight new commissions are three Renaissance O antiphons are included, by Pierre Certon, Antoine de Mornable, and Josquin des Prez. Continue reading →

Spitalfields Music: Siglo de Oro

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson ~ 1 Comment

Spitalfields Music
Siglo de Oro
Patrick Allies conductor, Sam Corkin saxophones
St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch. 10 December 2016

Music by Judith Weir, Will Todd, Pierre Certon, Matthew Kaner, Sam Rathbone, Antoine Mornable,
Bonnie Miksch, Francis Pott, Hieronymus Praetorius, Richard Allain, Gareth Wilson, Stuart Turnbull, Josquin des Prez, Ralph Allwood, Owain Park.

Spitalfields Music has long had a reputation for encouraging new groups and performers. One such was the a-cappella vocal group Siglo de Oro, whose professional debut was in the 2014 Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, although they had been singing together since their London student days. They are one of a number of such groups that get a quick invitation back, on this occasion with a well-constructed Advent programme that included an impressive number of new commissions.

A long-held tradition in the Catholic church has been to include in services in the Advent week before Christmas a set of special Magnificat antiphons, each beginning with the letter ‘O’, giving them the name of the ‘O Antiphons’ or the ‘Great Os’. The best known example stemming from this practice is the Advent hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel, which is a paraphrase of the last of these antiphons. Each of the O antiphons reinforce the Biblical prophecies of his birth. Siglo de Oro commissioned eight composers to write contemporary versions of these antiphons, which they presented alongside settings from Renaissance composers. Each of the new commissions includes a saxophone.  Continue reading →