The Stars in their Courses
for three sopranos, mezzo-soprano and clarsach
Commissioned and recorded by Canty on their 'Carmina Celtica' album (Linn Records)
for three sopranos, mezzo-soprano and clarsach
Commissioned and recorded by Canty on their 'Carmina Celtica' album (Linn Records)
"An outstanding disc" Financial Times
"Ethereally beautiful" The Observer
"Ethereally beautiful" The Observer
Buy from Amazon, or download the studio master recording directly from Linn Records
The world premiere of The Stars in their Courses in Glasgow Cathedral:
The world premiere of The Stars in their Courses in Glasgow Cathedral:
Below is the vocal score for The Stars in Their Courses:
To request perusal scores or to hire performance materials for The Stars in their Courses, please contact James via Facebook, Twitter or Email:
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)
"It is the integration of both choral and harp elements in James McCarthy's celestial The Stars in their Courses and John Tavener's oriental Two Hadiths that ultimately stand out on this highly impressive and imaginative synthesis of old and new"
(Pwyll ap Sion, Gramophone)
"James McCarthy's The Stars in Their Courses is a moving and understated meditation"
(Alan Swanson, Fanfare)
"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)
**** "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)
"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. All in all an incredible audio experience...very highly recommended."
(Mark Antonelli, CKUA Radio Network, Canada)
"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)
"It is the integration of both choral and harp elements in James McCarthy's celestial The Stars in their Courses and John Tavener's oriental Two Hadiths that ultimately stand out on this highly impressive and imaginative synthesis of old and new"
(Pwyll ap Sion, Gramophone)
"James McCarthy's The Stars in Their Courses is a moving and understated meditation"
(Alan Swanson, Fanfare)
"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)
**** "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)
"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. All in all an incredible audio experience...very highly recommended."
(Mark Antonelli, CKUA Radio Network, Canada)