JAMES MACMILLAN (b. 1959)

Seven Last Words from the Cross

 

Seven Last Words from the Cross

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do

Woman, Behold, Thy Son!… Behold, Thy Mother!

Verily, I say unto you, today thou shalt be with me in Paradise

Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?

I thirst

It is finishedFather, into Thy hands I commend my Spirit;

Christus Vincit;

Nemo te condemnavit*

…here in hiding… (version for ATTB chorus)*

 

*World Première Recording

 

The Dmitri Ensemble / Graham Ross

 

“In recent years it has been an enormous thrill hearing my music being performed by The Dmitri Ensemble. This excellent, young ensemble brings a breath of fresh air to music making in this country, and are fortunate to have in their director Graham Ross one of the most exciting new musicians to appear on the radar.”  James MacMillan

 

Naxos is delighted to mark James Macmillan’s 50th birthday with this disc on Naxos, bringing together a number of different choral works from 1993 to 2005.

 

This disc contains two world première recordings  and is produced by John Rutter , who spoke of the Dmitri Ensemble in the following terms : “They are the stars of the future.”

 

“The flying Scot is writing music with as much fervour and ingenuity as anyone on the planet….his passion and energy seem inexhaustible... he is, paradoxically, the most powerful voice in British music today - by a mile. Though fused from a thousand diverse sacred and secular influences, his pieces are instantly recognisable, intellectually coherent, fizzing with ideas, gloriously coloured, and without a whiff of pretension or obfuscation.” The Times

 

Naxos 8570719