Perhaps no other English composer of the first half of the twentieth century had the talent of fitting words to music that Gerald Finzi did. So complete was the unity of his art that Finzi was acknowledged in his time to be the finest composer of English songs. Even in his larger works for soloist, chorus, and orchestra, Finzi never faltered but created works in which it was nearly impossible to tell which came first, the music or the poetry. In this 2005 Naxos recording, tenor
James Gilchrist and conductor
David Hill leading the
Bournemouth Symphony Chorus & Orchestra turn in superlative performances of Finzi's Intimations of Immortality and For St. Cecilia. Part of the excellence is
Hill's skill as a choral conductor -- listen to the bright, alert, and always sincere singing of the
Bournemouth Chorus -- and part of it is
Hill's skill as an orchestral conductor -- listen to the warm, sustained, and always graceful playing of the
Bournemouth Symphony. But the largest part of the excellence is owed to
James Gilchrist. A doctor turned tenor,
Gilchrist has a supple yet strong voice that wonderfully captures the lyrical ecstasy of Finzi's writing. Better yet,
Gilchrist has a sensitive yet objective soul that marvelously catches the subtle insights of Finzi's settings. Preserved in Naxos' clear yet deep sound, these performances are as fine as the best ever recorded of either work and are well worth hearing by anyone who loves twentieth century English vocal music.