Albums
Lighten our Darkness
Music for the close of day
The Cambridge Singers
John Rutter conductor
COLCD 131
Includes the full office of Compline
The service of Compline has inspired many incredibly beautiful compositions and this collection gathers together eighteen of the many lovely a cappella choral motets written to adorn the evening worship of the church.
Composers include Byrd, Guerrero, Rachmaninov and Sheppard, alongside such less well-known masterworks as Rheinberger’s Abendlied and the four great Marian motets of Victoria. In addition, the Office of Compline, sung in English with its traditional chants, is included in its entirety on a bonus CD.
Lighten our Darkness sees John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers return to the austere surrounds and sumptuous acoustic of the Lady Chapel at Ely Cathedral, where many of their classic recordings from the 1980s and early 1990s were recorded.
"absolutely ravishing...well-nigh perfect choral craftsmanship and luscious sound." American Record Review
Download CD booklet (PDF - 179 kB)
Disc 1 | ||||||
| Listing | Track | Composer | Length | Listen | ||
| 01. | In pace | John Sheppard | 05:19 | |||
| 02. | Libera nos, salva nos | John Sheppard | 03:52 | |||
| 03. | Justorum animae | Orlande de Lassus | 03:11 | |||
| 04. | Pater noster | Jacob Händl | 04:26 | |||
| 05. | O Lord, the Maker of all thing | William Mundy | 02:55 | |||
| 06. | Visita, quaesumus Domine | William Byrd | 05:09 | |||
| 07. | Abendlied | Josef Rheinberger | 03:31 | |||
| 08. | O Christ who art the light and day | William Byrd | 04:32 | |||
| 09. | O gladsome light | Louis Bourgeois | 01:58 | |||
| 10. | Te lucis ante terminum | Thomas Tallis | 02:31 | |||
| 11. | Alma Redemptoris Mater | T.L. de Victoria | 06:58 | |||
| 12. | Ave Regina caelorum | T.L. de Victoria | 03:22 | |||
| 13. | Regina caeli laetare | T.L. de Victoria | 03:39 | |||
| 14. | Salve Regina | T.L. de Victoria | 10:37 | |||
| 15. | Ave Maria | Francisco Guerrero | 05:11 | |||
| 16. | Bogoroditsye Dyevo | Sergei Rachmaninov | 02:45 | |||
| 17. | In manus tuas | William Byrd | 03:30 | |||
| 18. | In manus tuas | John Sheppard | 03:57 | |||
Disc 2 | ||||||
| Listing | Track | Composer | Length | Listen | ||
| 01. | Opening Sentences and Responses | 01:30 | ||||
| 02. | Psalm 91 | 05:22 | ||||
| 03. | Lesson: Come unto me | 00:28 | ||||
| 04. | Respond: Into thy hands | 01:13 | ||||
| 05. | Hymn: Before the ending of the day | 01:28 | ||||
| 06. | Keep me as the apple of an eye and Nunc Dimittis | 02:40 | ||||
| 07. | The Apostles' Creed and Lord's Prayer | 03:02 | ||||
| 08. | Versicles and Responses | 01:08 | ||||
| 09. | Confession and Absolution | 00:57 | ||||
| 10. | Responses and Collects | 03:20 | ||||
| 11. | Respond: We will lay us down in peace | 00:51 | ||||
| 12. | Closing Responses and Blessing | 00:37 | ||||
| Quantity: | Buy $16.98 |