Every Living Creature 'a superb recording' - British Music Society
Our album of choral music by Kenneth Leighton, ‘Every Living Creature’, was released in May on the SOMM label.
“Kenneth Leighton is remembered chiefly for his choral compositions, yet 12 of the items on this CD are only now receiving their première recordings. Leighton’s choral writing is complex and challenging with invigorating rhythms and piquant dissonances, as the programme note by conductor Andrew Griffiths explains.
Although the voices of Londinium and the Finchley Children’s Music Group are described as ‘non-professional’, this in no way describes their musical prowess. In order to perform Leighton’s music you have to be top-class and indeed they both are.
The first section of the recording is given over to the eight mostly short works making up Laudes Animantium Op.61, choral songs dealing with animals. The title of the CD comes from the last of these, Every Living Creature. It describes the animals embarking peaceably on to Noah’s Ark. The opening Prelude sets words by Walt Whitman claiming animals are much nicer than people – ‘They do not sweat and whine about their condition’. This section is for tenor soloist with long involved melismas and a mostly gentle choral backing. Calico Pie, by Edward Lear, is a busy choral Scherzo with fast-paced word setting. Tenor and soprano solos with choir cleverly suggest the birdsong of The Nightingale. Children’s voices are ideal for Blake’s poem The Lamb, while dissonances abound in The Kraken as you would expect. The Grey Squirrel, a second scherzo, pokes fun at Christian hypocrisy. Blake’s twin poem The Tyger sounds threatening, then finally the narrative setting of Every Living Creature is crowned by a complex hymn of praise with choir, soprano and tenor solos and the children’s chorus coming in like a marvellous shaft of light.
London Town is a splendid piece. Edgy, fast choral singing praises London, yet wishes not to be there. More melodic vocal solos praise the countryside instead.
The Three Carols are more hymn-like in harmonies yet still challenging to sing. Sleep Holy Babe is a gentle lullaby but with a darker final verse. Nativity, a setting of a complex poem by John Donne and Hymn to the Trinity, harmonically complex with powerful rhythmic intensity complete this superb recording.”
Alan Cooper, British Music Society (June 2023)