Music by Peter Philips, performed by Convivium Singers, directed by Alexander Norman.
Peter Philips: An Englishman Abroad
£4.49 – £9.99
Description
About this release
Peter Philips (1560/1 – 1628) has long existed on the margins of English music. Resident in England until 1582, Philips spent the rest of his life in exile in the Netherlands. It is presumed that Philips’s Catholicism was the motivation behind this move, as Catholics were not permitted to openly practice their faith in England at the time. As many scholars have observed, the long-term neglect of Philips’s music has been partly due to his separation from England and its choral tradition. In recent years, Philips has begun to enjoy the acclaim he deserves as choirs rediscover his glorious motets. The present disc is part of this rediscovery, and marks the 450th anniversary of Philips’s birth.
Commissioned Programme Note
Peter Philips (1560/1–1628) has long existed on the margins of English music. Resident in England until 1582, Philips spent the rest of his life in exile in the Netherlands. It is presumed that Philips’s Catholicism motivated this move, as Catholics were not permitted to openly practice their faith in England at the time.
As many scholars have observed, the long-term neglect of Philips’s music has been partly due to his separation from England’s choral tradition. Byrd, also a Catholic, did not suffer the same fate: unlike Philips, Byrd also composed English- language madrigals and Anglican church music in addition to his many Latin motets. Byrd remained linked to the English musical establishment, despite his faith. Besides keyboard music, Philips remained little-known in England. In recent years, he has begun to enjoy the acclaim he deserves as choirs rediscover his glorious motets. The present disc is part of this rediscovery.
After leaving England Philips secured the position of organist at the English College in Rome, and whilst in the city, it is likely that he would have had some contact with composers such as Palestrina, Marenzio, Anerio and Victoria. Philips’s vocal music is indebted to this ‘Italian’ style of composition, and has little in common with his English contemporaries – a further reason for its neglect.
Philips resided in Rome from 1582 until 1585, when he left in the retinue of Thomas Lord Paget (another exiled English Catholic). He settled in Antwerp in 1590, teaching the keyboard and composing instrumental music. In 1597, Philips moved to Brussels to take up the position of organist at the Archducal Court of Albert and Isabella, where he remained until his death. All of his sacred vocal music was published during this period: indeed the scholar David Smith has noted that Philips’s compositional career was carefully tailored to suit his patron’s needs. Read more
About the artists
Alexander Norman
Alexander Norman is Director of Music at Holy Trinity Church, Coventry. He holds a Master of Music degree from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he studied Choral Conducting with Paul Spicer. Before this, Alex was an undergraduate student and organ scholar at Royal Holloway College. He accompanied the Chapel Choir for weekly services and Broadcasts on BBC Radio 2 and 3 (Choral Evensong). Alex also accompanied recording of music by Rihards Dubra on the Hyperion label.
He has played the organ for the choir in many prestigious cathedrals and churches. These include Evensongs at St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), St. George’s Chapel (Windsor), Washington National Cathedral and St. John the Divine Cathedral (New York). In addition, Alex has given organ recitals at Birmingham and Coventry Cathedrals as well as in local churches. He studied the organ with Rupert Gough and Alistair Reid.
During his time as Artistic Director of Convivium Singers, Alex was producer on a number of recordings for Convivium Records. These include albums of choral music by Malcolm Archer and Margaret Rizza. Alex also conducted on a CD of music by the late Renaissance composer Peter Philips.
He directed the ensemble at the Tolosa International Choral Contest and at festivals in Italy, Sardinia and the Czech Republic. He subsequently returned to Tolosa in October 2018 to conduct Convivium Singers at the 50th Anniversary of the Choral Contest.
Alexander Norman founded the Charpentier Ensemble in 2015 to explore vocal music of the Baroque Era. This involves some of the rising stars of the early music scene.
Convivium Singers
Convivium Singers is an award-winning, critically acclaimed choral ensemble. They provide opportunities for young singers at the early stages of performing careers. In addition, talented musicians who have chosen not to pursue careers in music form part of the ensemble. Above all, the ensemble specialises in performing and recording sacred and secular music by living European and American composers. BBC Radio 3’s ‘CD Review’ recently described them as ‘an extraordinarily good choir to listen to’. Read more
Credits
Catalogue number: CR007
Choir Convivium Singers
Organist David Price, Alexander Norman
Conductor Alexander Norman
Photography Tom Kuglin
Engineering Adaq Khan, Adrian Green
Mastering Adaq Khan
Producer Andrew King, David Millinger
Creative Director John Bevan
Executive Producer Adrian Green
Recorded 19, 20, 21 February, 11, 12, 13, 14 July 2011
Venue St Alban the Martyr, Highgate, Birmingham
Total Duration 64 mins