Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 31 March 2020
Filling an important gap in catalogue, this disc introduces us to the music of Purcell's contemporary who was Dean of Oxford.
No, I hadn't heard of Henry Aldrich either. He was a late 17th century divine who was heavily involved in the campaign against King James II's attempts to re-Catholicise the University of Oxford, and in 1689 Aldrich became Dean of Christ Church where he was in place for 21 years. He also served as Vice-Chancellor of the University from 1692 to 1695. Aldrich seems to have been something of a polymath, a logician, a skilled architect, a musician and a composer; during the 1690s he was heavily involved in the cathedral's music programme and also sang in the choir. He also held regular musical gatherings in his rooms at college.
This new disc on Convivium Records focuses on Henry Aldrich's sacred music, with The Cathedral Singers of Christ Church, Oxford performing 13 of Aldrich's anthems and the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from his Service in F major, conducted by James Morley Potter with David Bannister, organ. Also, on the disc is Aldrich's music for the 1682 Oxford Act, with the Restoration Consort (Conor Gricmanis & Alison Earll violins, Gavin Kibble viola da gamba).
Aldrich seems to have written mainly sacred music, for use in services at the cathedral. There are four complete services, seven full anthems and sixteen verse anthems, plus Aldrich's arrangements with English text of Latin motets by Palestrina, Carissimi, Byrd and Tallis.
On this disc we hear the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Service in F, five verse anthems, six full anthems, plus music which Aldrich wrote for the 1682 Oxford Act. From 1672, this annual event at the Sheldonian often featured music by Aldrich, and we hear the ode Conveniunt doctae sorores and Aldrich's only surviving instrumental music, all from the 1682 Oxford Act.
