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  Norwich Cathedral Choir    (est. 1538) Classical Choir of Men and Boys 
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Norwich Cathedral Choir A choir has sung at the daily services in this magnificent building since its foundation over 900 years ago, with an unbroken tradition of choral music through today. Beginning with the monks, who sang for the first five hundred years, the musical establishment to Norwich cathedral was refounded in 1538 when the previous monastic foundation was dissolved. Provision was then made for six choristers and sixteen adult singers.

The Cathedral Choir consists of sixteen boys (aged 8-13), all of whom attend Norwich School, and twelve men, six of whom are choral scholars. It sings regularly at six choral services a week during term and also at many of the special services held in the Cathedral – especially during Holy Week, Easter and Christmas. The choir's repertoire includes music by all the great English composers of the last five hundred years and also many works by continental composers from Josquin to Messiaen.

In September 1995 The Cathedral Girls' Choir was formed. They sing regularly in The Cathedral at Tuesday evensong and on Sundays both on their own and with the gentlemen of the Cathedral Choir.
Related Sites
Official Site: Norwich Cathedral Choir
Official Site: Norwich School Choir
Norwich Cathedral Shop
Several CDs are available from the Chapel Shop

Search Google for 'Norwich Cathedral Choir': Web - Images
 
Featured Recordings Compact | Full
no cover
Your Sweetest Notes (Griffin GCCD 4055, CD) July 2006
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir  
Featuring the boys choir.
  1.   Ye Choirs of new Jerusalem (Stanford)  
  2.   Prevent Us, O Lord (Byrd)  
  3.   Come my way (Cooper)  
  4.   My beloved spake (Hadley)  
  5.   A Song of Hosea (Nicholas)  
  6.   St Peter & St Paul (Rutti)  
  7.   If ye love me (Aston)  
  8.   How lovely is thy dwelling place (Aston)  
  9.   O pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Howells)  
10.   I will lift up mine eyes (Psalm 121) (Cann)  
11.   If the Lord had not helped me (Bairstow)  
12.   O sacrum convivium (Mitchell)  
13.   Ye that know the Lord is gracious (Statham)  
14.   And I saw a new heaven (Bainton)  
15.   O magnum mysterium (Lauridsen)  
16.   Dixit Dominus (Simpson)  
Available at   Norwich Cathedral
no cover
23 Favourite Hymns (Priory PRCD5018, CD) March 2006
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir  
Available at   Crotchet UK
Norwich Cathedral Choir - Morley, Parsley and Inglott
Morley, Parsley and Inglott (Priory PRCD 396, CD) November 1991
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir   Robert Houssart   Edward Whiting  
  1.   Nolo Mortem Peccatoris (Morley)  
  2.   Out Of The deep (Morley)   Soloist Colin Shaw (Counter Tenor)
  3.   Eheu Sustulerunt Dominum (Morley)  
  4.   Magnificat (Short Service) (Morley)   Soloists: Edward Whiting and Robert Houssart (Trebles), Spencer Mitchell (Alto), Christopher Duarte (Tenor), Frederick Appleby (Bass)
  5.   Nunc Dimittis (Short Service) (Morley)  
  6.   Alman (Morley)   Organ Solo played by Neil Taylor
  7.   Agnus Dei (Morley)  
  8.   Let My Complaint (Morley)  
  9.   Laboravi In gemitu Meo (Morley)  
10.   Conserva Me, Domine (Parsley)  
11.   The Lamentations (Parsley)  
12.   The Leaves Bee Greene (Inglott)   Organ Solo played by Neil Taylor
13.   Venite (Short Service) (Inglott)  
14.   Te Deum Laudamus (Short Service) (Inglott)  
Norwich Cathedral Choir - Berkeley, Britten, Walton- 20th Century Music From Norwich Cathedral
Berkeley, Britten, Walton- 20th Century Music From Norwich Cathedral (Vista  VPS 1096, LP) 1981
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir   Andrew Baxter   Edward Clarke   Martin Stiles  
Directed by Michael Nicholas With Malcolm Archer (Organ)
  1.   Mass For Five Voices (Berkeley)  
  2.   Three Pieces For Organ- 1 Aubade 2 Aria (Berkeley)   With Malcolm Archer (Organ)
  3.   Three Pieces For Organ-3 Toccata (Berkeley)   With Malcolm Archer(Organ)
  4.   Magnificat (Berkeley)   With Andrew Baxter(Treble),Anthony Blyth (Alto), Niall Weir (Tenor), Jack Evans and Alan Ewing (Bass)
  5.   Nunc Dimittis (Berkeley)   soloists as Magnificat
  6.   Festival Te Deum Laudamus (Britten)   With Alan Baxter (Treble)
  7.   Hymn To St Peter (Britten)   With Alan Baxter,Edward Clarke,Martin Stiles (Treble Semi-Chorus)
  8.   Prelude And Fugue On A Theme Of Vittoria (Britten)   With Michael Nicholas (Organ)
  9.   Antiphon (Britten)   Trebles Semi-Chorus as Above.
10.   A Hymn Of St Columba  
Norwich Cathedral Choir - John Ireland And His Contemporaries
John Ireland And His Contemporaries (Vista VPS 1084, LP) 1979
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir   Philip Cogman  
directed by Michael Nicholas with Malcolm Archer (organ).
  1.   Te Deum In F (Ireland)  
  2.   The Holy Boy (Ireland)  
  3.   Greater Love Hath No Man (Ireland)   Soloists Philip Cogman (Treble) and Niall Weir (Baritone)
  4.   Ex Ore Innocentium (Ireland)  
  5.   Love Unknown (Ireland)  
  6.   Hundredth Psalm (Vaughan Williams)  
  7.   I Sing Of A Maiden (Bax)  
  8.   Te Lucis Ante Terminum (Gardiner)  
  9.   Turn Back O Man (Holst)  
Norwich Cathedral Choir - Christmas at Norwich A selection of carols and hyms for Advent to Ephiphany
Christmas at Norwich A selection of carols and hyms for Advent to Ephiphany (Abbey LPB 748, LP) 1974
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir   Paul McKeown  
directed by Michael Nicholas, organ by Thomas Corfield
  1.   Hymn: Creator of the starry height (Plainsong Tune)  
  2.   Adam lay y-bounden (Walker)  
  3.   Joseph and the Angel (R.R. Terry)  
  4.   Myn Liking (R.R. Terry)  
  5.   Two Chorale Preludes: Der Tag der ist so freudereich & Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, Allzugleich  
  6.   In the Bleak Midwinter (Walker)  
  7.   As I outrode this Enderes Night (Hendrie)  
  8.   Mary Laid her Child (McCabe)  
  9.   O Little Town of Bethlehem (arr. Vaughan Williams)  
Norwich Cathedral Choir - In Quires and Places... No. 9
In Quires and Places... No. 9 (Abbey LPB 718, LP) 1972
Featuring In Quires and Places...   Norwich Cathedral Choir   Paul McKeown  
Directed by: Michael Nicholas Organist and Master of the Choristers: Bernard Burrell and Stephen Westrop Assistant Organists
  1.   O Worship The Lord In The Beauty Of Holiness  
  2.   Preces (Ayleward)   Sung by the Precentor The Reverend Claude Palfrey
  3.   Psalm 32 (Buck)  
  4.   Magnificat in E Minor (Stratham)  
  5.   Nunc Dimittis In E Minor (Stratham)   Soloist Paul McKeown (Treble)
  6.   Agnus Dei (Morley)  
  7.   Insanae Et Vanae Curae (Haydn)  
  8.   Call To Remembrance O Lord (Farrant)  
  9.   O Sacrum Convivium (Tallis)  
10.   The Sorrows Of Mine Heart Are Enlarged (Boyce)  
11.   Beati Quorum Via (Stanford)  
12.   Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence   Soloists George Allison (Tenor) and Jack Evans (Bass)
13.   Salvator Mundi (Blow)  
14.   Kyrie And Gloria From Missa Brevis (Leighton)  
Available at   GEMM store - Choir of Norwich Cathedral, 'In Quires And Places...No.9 This a newly-advertised single copy of the original 1972 recording being offered for sale in new, pristine, unplayed, shrinkrapped condition at US$128 (seller is in Toronto, Canada)
Norwich Cathedral Choir - Hear My Prayer: Favourite Hymns and Anthems
Hear My Prayer: Favourite Hymns and Anthems (Vista , LP)
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir   David Trendell  
Featuring David Trendell.
Books Compact | Full
no cover
Zechariah Buck. . . A Centenary Memoir (Jarrold & Sons , Book) 1899
Featuring Norwich Cathedral Choir  
by Frederic G. Kitton. London. Dr Buck was a chorister, then organist & choirmaster at Norwich Cathedral for seventy years from 1807 to 1877. This fascinating memoir includes anecdotes such as him giving soloists phials of port wine to imbibe before singing and shutting a boy in a dark cupboard so that he could realize the meaning of "Without Thee, all is dark" in Mendelssohn's "Hear my prayer". (The ungrateful urchin replied to his enqiry: "Please sir, No sir; there's a crack in the door!") There is also a description of how he developed the head register by getting boys to practice with the mouth shut. One observer commented: "It is wonderful how much higher some pupils can sing with the mouth shut; one boy who could not sing well above F sharp with the natural voice, reached up to C with closed mouth." (This is reminiscent of Emma Calve's achieving piano high notes, maintained for a surprising length of time, by following advice from the Turkish castrato Domenico Mustafa to practice with her mouth tight shut for two hours a day.) Dr Buck was held in such high regard that he provided Norwich choristers to sing the solo parts in the "St Matthew Passion" at Westminster Abbey in 1872. Long out of print. — Review by Brian Pearson
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