23.04.24
Friday 5 February 2021
The Way of Light, a new album of music by Honorary Fellow and alumnus Nigel Hess (1971, Music), is released today on the Orchid Classics label. The collection includes two tracks featuring the Girls’ Choir of St Catharine’s College, one of which – an exuberant setting of the Benedictus – was specially written for the choir in 2008, the first year of its existence.
Nigel’s latest album boasts a stellar cast of performers, including pianists Piers Lane and Nicholas McCarthy, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Singers and Sir Derek Jacobi, with rousing contributions from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force and the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth.
Dr Edward Wickham (2003), Director of Music, commented, “On behalf of the choir, I am thrilled that Nigel chose to invite the Girls’ Choir to contribute to this very special album, alongside such acclaimed professional musicians and performers. The Benedictus has been a particular favourite of the choir ever since its composition – a wonderful gift to the Girls’ Choir in its inaugural year. To record it now, with the full forces of the BBC Concert Orchestra, was an amazing experience.”
Nigel writes: “I was delighted that we were able to record the Benedictus in its orchestral version with the Girls’ Choir, and they also make a guest appearance in the final section of the title track itself, The Way of Light. It was wonderful to work with Edward and the choir to make this happen, and let’s hope, when our world returns to something like normal, that we can work on other inspiring projects together.”
Nigel is well-known as a composer for television, theatre, film and the concert hall, and his score for the film Ladies in Lavender regularly features in Classic FM’s ‘Hall of Fame’. He was admitted as an Honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s in 2016, and recently funded a state-of-the-art sound system in the Chapel to enrich the lives of the College’s students, staff and Fellows.
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