KNIGHTON CONSORT/GULL/COWEN - MOLD:PASSIONTIDE

PASSIONTIDE: A Lenten Cantata. Simon Mold's new setting is a triumph drawing deeply on the traditions of baroque Passion settings as well as such works as Stainer's 'The Crucifixion' and Maunder's 'Olivet to Calvary', this work is a masterpiece which, if there is any justice in the world, will be widely sung, to be appreciated by choirs, audiences and congregations. A strikingly accessible work that explores a range of emotions with a sure feel for word-setting and an irrepressible tunefulness, while nonetheless capable of many passages of gravitas, poignancy and lingering beauty. Highlights include dramatic moments in the Garden of Gethsemane and before Pilate, a searching setting of the Reproaches for choir and soloist, the heart-rending farewell duet for Mary and Jesus and a final scene that taps into the feelings of believer and non-believer alike.