"Gorgeously detailed and almost luminious...jaw-dropping" (Gramophone)
"Ethereally beautiful" (Nicholas Kenyon, The Observer)
Carmina Celtica featuring James McCarthy's The Stars in their Courses
Reviews:
"Scotland had some very beautiful medieval music preserved in a St Andrews manuscript alongside French repertory. One piece nestles here among plainchant and alluring modern vocal items by composers ranging from James MacMillan (his superb Os mutorum) and James McCarthy (the hypnotic The Stars in Their Courses) to Joanne Metcalf, Peter McGarr and John Tavener. All pick up on the distinctive resonance of Scots spirituality and the immaculate tuning and balance of the four female singers of Canty. William Taylor weaves harp interludes with atmospheric skill, even enhancing the plainchant. Ethereally beautiful." (Nicholas Kenyon, The Observer)
**** "Take
four female voices versed in medieval music, record them in Edinburgh's
Greyfriars Kirk, and you have the recipe for an outstanding disc of
ancient and contemporary spiritual songs... There is no obvious distinction between medieval chant and modern song: both feed off each other in the most intoxicating way." (Andrew Clark, Financial Times)
**** "Top-quality singing with the programme blurring the expected distinction between ancient and modern" (Rick Jones, Classic FM magazine)
"James McCarthy's 'The Stars in Their Courses' is a moving and understated meditation" (Alan Swanson, Fanfare)
"Without exception, the new works plunder the musical procedures of the past, with echoes of plainchant and Mediaeval polyphony underpinning more mellifluous modern harmonies and spicier dissonances, as well as extremes or register. Thus another avenue for continuity and coherence opened up. Moreover, the tone of the programme as a whole is one of gentle luminosity, with occasional flashes of piercing light. Listening thus becomes a meditative as well as an aesthetic experience - which was perhaps the intention. From the flowing opening chant of Salve splendour through the vines and trellises of the Moody, the flexible, overlapping ornaments of Peter McGarr's Flower Garland, the high-flying lines of Michael McGlynn's Lorica, James McCarthy's The Stars in their Courses and Joanne Metcalf's extraordinarily beautiful Shining Light to Rebecca Rowe's subtle, transparent There is nothing brighter than the sun and John Tavener's teeming, exotic Two Hadiths, this is a rich feast, yes, but one that always leaves you wanting more.The performances, which were recorded in Edinburgh's Greyfriars Church, are exceptional, with Canty's characteristics striving for absolute clarity of diction without sacrificing a sense of line or harmonious, crystalline stillness." (Robert Levett, International Record Review)
"The sound on the disc is amazing. It was recorded at Greyfriars Church in Edinburgh and the voices and various harps can best be described as crystalline. There are eighteen tracks including pieces by contemporary composers like Ivan Moody, John Tavener and Gabriel Jackson, examples of plainchant and pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries. All in all an incredible audio experience...very highly recommended." (Mark Antonelli, CKUA Radio Network, Canada)
Linn Records have announced the release of "Carmina Celtica" featuring The Stars in their Courses. The disc is performed by the amazing Canty with Bill Taylor on harps. Also on the disc are premiere recordings of works by John Tavener and James MacMillan. Click here for more info and to buy the album. Also available from iTunes, Amazon, HMV, Presto. Buy it. It's brilliant.
Below is a video of the world premiere performance of The Stars in their Courses in Glasgow Cathedral: