The Hilliard Ensemble: A Hilliard Songbook (New Music For Voices)

The group's reputation as an early music ensemble dates from the 1980s, but from the start the group has paid equal attention to new music. Their recording of Arvo Pärt's Passio began a fruitful relationship with both Pärt and the Munich-based record company ECM. The group has commissioned other composers from the Baltic States, including Veljo Tormis and Erkki-Sven Tüür, adding to a rich repertoire of new music written for the Ensemble by Gavin Bryars, Heinz Holliger, John Casken, James MacMillan, Elena Firsova and others. The group's 1994 composition competition produced over one hundred pieces, many of which have found their way into Hilliard programmes. At its annual summer schools the group provides for a composer-in-residence; past holders of this post have included Ivan Moody, Piers Hellawell, Barry Guy and Gavin Bryars. Many of these composers are represented in this double album.

The Hilliard Ensemble
A Hilliard Songbook: New Music For Voices
ECM New Series 1614/15 | 78118-21614-2
Relesed 2000 (Reissued 2005)

Disc 1
1. Un coup de des
2. Only
3. Endechas y canciones: No pueden dormir mis ojos
4. Endechas y canciones: Endechas a la muerte de Guillen Peraza
5. Endechas y canciones: III Pues mi pena veis
6. Endechas y canciones: IV Ojos de la mi senora
7. True Beautie
8. On Black and White
9. True Beautie
10. Emerodde
11. True Beautie
12. Lasent
13. True Beautie
14. By Falshood
15. Incantation
16. Kullervo's Message

Disc 2
17. Adoro te devote
18. …Here In Hiding…
19. And One Of The Pharisees
20. Summa
21. Whale Rant
22. Music For The Star Of The Sea
23. Stabant autem Iuxta crucem
24. Sharp Thorne
25. Canticum Canticorum I: I Surge, properea amica mea
26. Canticum Canticorum I: II Descendi in hortum meum
27. Canticum Canticorum I: III Ego dilecto meo

Running Time: 1:59:50

Composers
Anonymous (17)
John Casken (24)
Morton Feldman (2)
Michael Finnissy (23)
Barry Guy (1)
Piers Hellawell (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Nona Liddell (21)
James MacMillan (18)
Joanne Metcalf (22)
Ivan Moody (3, 4, 5. 6, 25, 26, 27)
Arvo Pärt (19, 20)
Paul Robinson (15)
Veljo Tormis (16)


Not that this is anything new, but if you like what you hear you should buy the album. Besides, not only are you adding great music to your collection, you're also helping a great cause.