Richard Runciman Terry: Praise to the Holiest in the height
Sir Edward Elgar: Great is the Lord, Op. 67 They are at rest (Elegy) Give unto the Lord, Op. 74
Lisa Robertson: …a link in a chain…
William Boyce: Firmly I believe and truly
Eoghan Desmond: Nothing in vain
Sir James MacMillan: Nothing in vain
Bob Chilcott: O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me
Once again The Sixteen and the Genesis Foundation have teamed up to bring premiere recordings of a fascinating selection of new choral commissions to audiences worldwide. The five new choral works on this album – by James MacMillan, Will Todd, Anna Semple, Eoghan Desmond and Lisa Robertson – all grew from a meditation by St John Henry Newman. Newman was a theologian of towering stature and broad influence and his meditation resonates with great clarity in our present age of the re-evaluation of what we can and cannot do without, and of the profound human need for a sense of meaning and purpose. Canonised in October 2019, Newman's writings represent a rich and thought-provoking legacy and, alongside the new works presented, are immortalized in three wellknown hymns and Sir Edward Elgar’s exquisite elegy They are at rest. Also included are two of Elgar’s psalm settings – Great is the Lord and Give unto the Lord. These are monumental works for choir and organ, full of grandeur and drama, but also inherently simple. The album ends with a Bonus track by Bob Chilcott - also a Genesis Foundation commission - based on Psalm 139. Recorded at Temple Church, London, 18-20 January 2022.
