Daylight Declines Tenebrae Consort & Nigel Short

• Paweł Łukaszewski (1968 - ):
• 1 Cantate Domino 04:26
• Sonnet 60:
• 2 Like as the Waves 04:03
• Sonnet 27:
• 3 Weary with toil 04:14
• Daylight Declines:
• 4 Daylight Declines 04:54
• Responsoria Tenebrae (version for mixed choir):
• 5 I. Tenebrae facte sunt 04:23
• 6 II. Caligaverunt oculi mei 05:19
• 7 III. Recessit Pastor noster 03:46
• 8 IV. O vos omnes 04:54
• 9 V. Ecce quomodo moritur iustus 04:53
• Lamentationes:
• 10 Lamentatio I 06:23
• 11 Lamentatio II 03:53
• 12 Lamentatio III 08:35
• Beati (version for mixed choir):
• 13 Beati (version for mixed choir) 09:59
• Total Runtime 01:09:42

Info for Daylight Declines

To mark the composer’s 50th birthday and the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence, Nigel Short and Tenebrae release an album of choral works by Polish composer Paweł Łukaszewski. Łukaszewski is regarded as the best-known Polish composer of his generation. There is a sacred theme to much of his work which is heard throughout the disc, starting with a psalm Cantate Domino, moving through to the lamentations of Jeremiah and ending with a musical setting of the Beatitudes, Beati. Two Shakespeare Sonnets, settings of the Tenebrae Responsories and Daylight Declines, the title track, are also included on this album which celebrates Łukaszewski’s award-winning compositional output.

"Paweł Łukaszewski has a distinct style of composing whereby the text is always very clear. The intense spirituality of the words is perfect for Tenebrae as we are really able to be expressive with the text." (Nigel Short)

Tenebrae
Nigel Short, Dirigent

Tenebrae Consort
is an outstanding group of musicians, with singers hand-picked from the award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae. Chosen for their particular expertise in certain areas of repertoire, Tenebrae Consort demonstrates the singers’ skills as soloists and highlights the vocal quality of the individuals who make up the Tenebrae sound. Known for their instinctive ensemble skills, the singers can perform alongside small groups of leading instrumentalists, and are directed by Nigel Short, who leads the group to music making of the highest quality. Focusing on repertoire originally written for consort performance, particularly dedicated to the interpretation of early music, Tenebrae Consort aims to shed new interpretative light on works through the combination of both passion and precision, creating an intimate concert experience.

Nigel Short
began his musical life as a chorister at Solihull Parish Church going on to study singing and piano at the Royal College of Music. He began his career as a soloist in opera and oratorio and as a member of specialist vocal ensembles such as The Tallis Scholars whilst maintaining a regular involvement in church music, firstly as a member of Westminster Abbey Choir then Westminster Cathedral. He joined the King's Singers when he was 27 and stayed with them for seven years.

After a short break of about one ski season in the Swiss Alps he set about founding his own group, Tenebrae, aiming to bring together what he loved best as a singer - namely the more passionate sounds of large Cathedral choirs and the precision of ensembles like The King's Singers - to create a new kind of choral group. Whilst embracing an eclectic repertoire he wanted to have some 'signature' works that would make Tenebrae different, adding a theatrical element that would involve singers moving around as if on stage. To that end he wrote 'The Dream of Herod', with a central role for baritone Colin Campbell, and commissioned Joby Talbot to write Path of Miracles, premiered in July 2005. Since its debut performance in 2001 Tenebrae has given concerts in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, UK, USA and Bermuda.

Nigel and the group have performed and recorded live with The Chamber Orchestra of Europe for Warner Classics and have given several performances with The English Concert. They record regularly with Signum Classics.

Nigel divides his time between directing Tenebrae and giving an ever increasing number of masterclasses and workshops for both professional and amateur vocal groups and choirs throughout Europe.

Booklet for Daylight Declines