From The Vaults Of Westmi - Various Composers

A century ago, Richard Runciman Terry re-introduced the wonders of the Renaissance into liturgical polyphony and placed Westminster Cathedral Choir at the pinnacle of the art. Terry was a musical pioneer whose work as Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral between 1902 and 1924 is legendary. The musical roadmap that Richard Terry charted for London�s new Roman Catholic cathedral remains largely unrevised today. Plainchant and Renaissance polyphony are the bedrock of Westminster Cathedral�s sung liturgy�early music is the root from which the cathedral�s musical endeavours have branched for over a century. Also, from Westminster Cathedral�s earliest years, alongside the fascination with early vocal repertory, composers have been commissioned to contribute to the canon; when they have done so the choir�s antique musical diet has frequently been at the forefront of those composers� imagination.This disc is a homage to Terry�s work: a procession through a particularly rich section of the church�s year which perfectly illustrates the changing glories of the liturgy.