Page 235 - FINAL_The Sixteen Coverage Book 40th Anniversary Year

Three years ago, we embraced the “Stabat Mater,” without doubt the most powerful
poem of the liturgy and one which has inspired composers through the ages, yet in
recent times it has seldom been set to music. The musical world has waited a long
time for a substantial setting of the “Stabat Mater.” The last major renditions were the
very personal and powerful settings of Karol Szymanowski in 1928 and Francis
Poulenc in 1951.

Sixty years on and, at last, we are witness to a new and equally personal work which
I have no doubt encapsulates the power of the poem.

OW: Are there similarities between the two pieces? What

are their differences? And what are their biggest
challenges?

HC: First and foremost the “Miserere” is unaccompanied. The “Stabat Mater” is
scored for choir and string orchestra. Both display a unique choral sound world,
stretching the singers’ virtuosity and stamina. James’ Celtic influences are ever
prominent but his blend of counterpoint, silence and understanding of the text set
him in an exalted position among composers of sacred music. Both works are totally
draining in emotion to perform yet utterly captivating for the listener.

The “Stabat Mater” requires both singers and instrumentalists to be at the top of their
game; every executant needs great stamina. James divides the 20-verse poem into
four large movements, each of five stanzas, each with its own variety of emotional
response, from noble lament through fury and shriek to contemplative devotion.
Breath control, furious tremolos, driving rhythms off the beat abound and a sound
world which at times doesn’t seem possible
with just the assembled artists on stage.

OW: How would you describe James MacMillan’s music

for audiences who have never heard his work? Since you
specialize in Renaissance music, what does studying

MacMillan’s work add to your interpretation of repertoire

from the Renaissance era? How does it enrich your music

making?

HC: This is very difficult to answer; in one sense his music is very approachable but
in the case of the “Stabat Mater” one could also say that it is no easy listen. Why
should it be? In his own words, James speaks of a “painful world of loss, violence,
and spiritual desolation”, and those are the intense feelings packed into his score
which we as performers and you as the listener will experience. We are surprised at
every corner; he takes us into extraordinarily varied directions with soaring violin

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