DODGSON: ‘Canticle of the Sun’ – Choral Pieces
Katherine Bicknell, fl; Michael Higgins, org;
Sonoro/ Neil Ferris
Somm 686—70 minutes
2024 marks the centenary of Stephen Dodgson’s birth. Somm has observed it with two recordings of his songs (with a third coming) and now with a recording dedicated to his choral pieces. Canticle of the Sun begins with text by John Heath-Stubbs borrowing the title of the 13th Century song by St Francis of Assisi. The program also includes two cantatas. Four Poems of Marty Coleridge with flute accompaniment by Katherine Bicknell remind me of Messiaen bird songs. The choral writing is often quite lush, especially in the Nocturnes. Co-Artistic Director Michael Higgins brings out some striking organ registrations in ‘Tis Almost One for mixed voices and organ on texts by 17th Century English lyric poet and Anglican cleric Robert Herrick. Three stand-alone SSA a cappella songs and a 3-song set, Lines from Hal Summers, conclude the program.
The mixed chamber choir Sonoro (4-4-4-4) sings with precision and produces a vibrant and sumptuous sound. Singers from the choir are well equipped to take solo parts. Their enunciation is very clear and their sound is well balanced.
It took me a while to warm up to Dodgson’s choral writing, finding a more severe tonality in his recent pieces. His earlier works are more approachable, particularly his lovely Lullaby, but all of them grew on me with repeated listening. His choice of texts is keen. His compositional style seems to resist categorization.
This is a very well performed and recorded album. The Herrick songs were what I liked best.
Program notes and texts of songs, all of them in English.
R MOORE
The American Record Guide
