Clive Osgood: Sacred Choral Music – Review by RSCM (Church Music Quarterly)

“Attractive, approachable music”

13th December 2019

Clive Osgood: Sacred Choral Music – Review by RSCM (Church Music Quarterly)

Listen or buy this album:

Clive Osgood: Sacred Choral Music – Review by RSCM (Church Music Quarterly)

“Attractive, approachable music”

13th December 2019

Listen or buy this album:

Osgood writes attractive, approachable music that is particularly effective in the slower, more atmospheric movements, but also with Latin-American or jazz influences in the livelier pieces that sometimes seem to dance through the texts. The example of earlier composers is evoked in a six-movement Dixit Dominus, a Miserere mei (including solo soprano top C) and an Ave serum corpus that the composer describes as modelled on Mozart.

A single movement Beatus Vir begins and ends quietly and shows how Osgood has a Karl Jenkins-like ability to write music that approaches the boundary of sentimentality without actually crossing it. But for me the most enjoyable pieces are the shorter settings of English texts such as Rejoice in the Lord alwayLord for thy tender mercy’s sakeCome, my way, my truth, my life and above all a catchy setting of Heber’s hymn Brightest and best with lovely singing from Rebecca Moon. The composer is well served by the performers and the recording.

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Osgood writes attractive, approachable music that is particularly effective in the slower, more atmospheric movements, but also with Latin-American or jazz influences in the livelier pieces that sometimes seem to dance through the texts. The example of earlier composers is evoked in a six-movement Dixit Dominus, a Miserere mei (including solo soprano top C) and an Ave serum corpus that the composer describes as modelled on Mozart.

A single movement Beatus Vir begins and ends quietly and shows how Osgood has a Karl Jenkins-like ability to write music that approaches the boundary of sentimentality without actually crossing it. But for me the most enjoyable pieces are the shorter settings of English texts such as Rejoice in the Lord alwayLord for thy tender mercy’s sakeCome, my way, my truth, my life and above all a catchy setting of Heber’s hymn Brightest and best with lovely singing from Rebecca Moon. The composer is well served by the performers and the recording.

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