A collection of choral and organ pieces composed by Margaret Rizza, conducted by Eamonn Dougan, featuring Convivium Singers and organist David Price.
Rizza: Officium Divinum
£5.99 – £9.99
Description
About this release
The is an album of contemplative sacred choral music (with instruments) by the British composer, Margaret Rizza, includes music for the four periods of daily prayer: Morning, Midday, Evening and Night Prayer from the ‘Common Worship, Daily Prayer’. The scores are published by the Royal School of Church Music.
Composer’s Notes
The sixteen pieces on this CD are made up of four choral pieces with organ, two ‘a cappella’ pieces and ten choral pieces with organ and instrumental accompaniment.
Morning Prayer begins with The Night Has Passed. It expresses the dawn which awakens us, inviting us to pray in thanksgiving with one heart and mind. It becomes celebratory as we rejoice in the gift of another new day. Read more
About the artists
Eamonn Dougan
Eamonn Dougan is an inspirational conductor and renowned baritone. He is Associate Conductor of The Sixteen and founding Director of Britten Sinfonia Voices. Informed by his singing, Eamonn is an engaging communicator with a particular passion for Bach, the French Baroque and Sixteenth and Twentieth Century English repertoire.
Forthcoming conducting engagements include a tour of France with renowned ensemble Accentus, Messiah in Spain, tours and performances with the Danish VokalEnsemblet in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, a return visit to Jersey Chamber Orchestra and ORCAM (Spain), and continued work educating choral groups across the world including conducting his own Thomas Tallis Society and Genesis Sixteen. Eamonn’s work with Sir James MacMillan and James’s Cumnock Tryst Festival continues as he returns to direct a special MacMillan premiere composed for the Tryst’s fifth anniversary. He will conduct De Profundis on their next album and will assist Sir Mark Elder on Opera Rara’s next recording and performance at Royal Festival Hall.
Eamonn recently conducted Cosi Fan Tutte at the Ryedale Festival “Dougan’s baton maintained a steady momentum … a heart-warming show” (York Press), Faure Requiem with the newly formed Chiltern Arts Festival Chorus, and Mozart’s La finta giardiniera with The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Experience Ensemble “he kept them right on the ball” (York Press). He has directed many orchestras and choirs including Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Corinthian Chamber Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Trondheim Barokk, Opera Rara, BBC Singers, Accentus (Paris), Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir (Poland), and Coro de la Comunidad (Madrid). Programming highlights have included curating and conducting ‘A Weekend of Excessively Good Taste’ (French Baroque) at Kings Place, London.
With the Britten Sinfonia Voices he has conducted several world premieres including Sir John Tavener Flood of Beauty, Esenvalds Aqua, Nico Muhly Looking Forward for the Britten Sinfonia’s 20th birthday and the choral premiere of Jóhann Jóhannsson Orphée at the Barbican. Other projects with the Britten Sinfonia have included Bach St John Passion, MacMillan St Luke Passion and Seven Last Words, Britten Curlew River, Birtwistle Yan Tan Tethera, Possibly Colliding: Session Six and a programme featuring Stravinsky & Mozart at Milton Court as part of the Barbican’s Esa-Pekka Salonen composer focus. He has assisted various conductors including Sir James MacMillan, Martyn Brabbins, Andreas Delfs, Adam Fischer and Sir Mark Elder.
Eamonn has a highly successful five-disc Polish Baroque series with The Sixteen. The first disc, music by Bartlomiej Pekiel, was met with widespread critical acclaim and was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award (‘Richly dramatic’ – The Observer; ‘A delightful performance’ – BBC Music Magazine). Subsequent discs in the series include The Blossoming Vine, music by Gorczycki, and Helper and Protector. The fifth disc, music by Marcin Mielczewski, was released in 2017. “The sound is radiant throughout and well balanced … each work is finely shaped by director Eamonn Dougan.” (Limelight Magazine)
In 2008 Eamonn was appointed a Visiting Professor to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he teaches ensemble singing and directs the Guildhall Consort; he is Music Director for the Thomas Tallis Society. Eamonn read music at New College, Oxford, before continuing his vocal and conducting studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Eamonn Dougan is managed worldwide by Percius.
Convivium Singers
Convivium Singers is an award-winning, critically acclaimed choral ensemble, providing opportunities for young singers at the early stages of performing careers, as well as for talented musicians who have chosen not to pursue careers in music. The ensemble specialises in performing and recording sacred and secular music by living European and American composers. It was recently described as ‘an extraordinarily good choir to listen to’ by BBC Radio 3’s ‘CD Review.’
Convivium Singers have released a number of recordings in recent years, collaborating with companies, including the Baltic Exchange, London, and publishers, notably the Royal School of Church Music. Composer discs include works by Jonathan Dove, Margaret Rizza, Malcolm Archer, Carson Cooman, Hugh Benham and Michael Higgins. They have also delved into early music, and their CD of motets by Peter Philips (Convivium Records) received a Choir & Organ five-star review. The choir was filmed at Portsmouth Cathedral in 2014 for a special Songs of Praise programme on BBC1, as part of the DDay70 commemorations.
The Singers often work with established conductors and composers to introduce contemporary music to wider audiences. They were prize-winners at the Tolosa International Choral Contest (2011, Spain). The ensemble has also performed at Milan’s La Fabbrica del Canto festival and in Hradec Králové at the Czech choral festival Sborové slavnosti.
Convivium Singers have a diverse repertoire from traditional choral music to folk-songs, partsongs and popular arrangements.
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Credits
Catalogue number: CR022
Choir Convivium Singers
Organist David Price
Conductor Eamonn Dougan
Photography Various
Engineering Adaq Khan, Kevin Hodgson
Mastering Adaq Khan
Producer Andrew King, alexander Norman, Margaret Rizza
Creative Director John Bevan
Executive Producer Adrian Green
Recorded 29, 30 April, 1, 2 May 2013
Venue Portsmouth Cathedral
Total Duration 67 mins
