Sunday, December 31, 2023

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College: Looking back at 2022 Commissioned Composer: Matthew Martin

Matthew Martin

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College: Looking back at 2022 Commissioned Composer: Matthew Martin

Editor's Note: Along with my fight with COVID-19, we got so swamped last year that when Matthew Martin was announced as the composer of the commissioned carol for the Festival of Nine Lesson and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge, we did not do a feature on him. Somewhat to blame was the tardy press release by the college, although the news had been somewhat leaked already by BBC Radio 3 on their schedule.

Martin is currently Precentor and Director of College Music at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (appointed 2019).

The composer studied music at Magdalen College, Oxford. From 2000 until 2002 he was Director of Music at the University Church, Oxford. From 2001 to 2004 he studied with Marie-Claire Alain in Paris before being elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2005. Martin has held positions at New College, Oxford, and Canterbury Cathedral.

At Westminster Cathedral, he was the Assistant Master of Music from 2004 until 2010. Since 2001, he has been involved with the annual Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy where he was director of the Nave Choir. From 2011 until 2015 he was Organist at The London Oratory. From 2015-2020 he was Director of Music at Keble College, Oxford.

He was the winner of the Liturgical category in the 2013 British Composer Awards. His first disc of choral music, Jubilate Deo on the Opus Arte label, was recorded by Daniel Hyde and the Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 2014.

At the time in December 2022, one of his most recent works included the festival anthem “In the midst of thy Temple” for the choir of Westminster Abbey, marking the 750th anniversary of the Abbey’s re-founding.

In the midst of thy Temple

He has received previous commissions from The Tallis Scholars, the choirs of Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Gabrieli Consort, and The Sixteen (Stabat mater).

In 2016, he wrote a cycle of Sonnets of Petrarch for Marcus Farnsworth performed during the 2016 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester.

His sacred works compositions include, A Rose Magnificat (2017), commissioned by the Gabrieli Consort and first performed in 2017 in St John's Smith Square, London, conducted by Paul McCreesh. It was later recorded by the same ensemble in 2018 recording on Signum Classics.

A Rose Magnificat

Also, there is “Sanctissima” (2017) (Guerrero's “Ave virgo sanctissima” reimagined). This composition was premiered by the Ora Singers in 2018.

Sanctissima

Martin also has done of setting of “Psalm 150” (O praise God in His holiness) (2017), commissioned by Manchester Cathedral. It was premiered during BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong at Manchester Cathedral in September 2017. Also in 2017, was his The Fifth Service (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (The Fifth Service)). It received its world premiere at Chapel of Dean Close School, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in November 2017 by the Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum, and later at Tewkesbury Abbey.

In 2014, he wrote his version of the devotional “Salve sedes sapientiae” by commission by Dr. Simon Jones for the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. It was first performed in June 2014 on the occasion of the Dedication of the statue of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom by The Right Reverend Martin Warner.

Martin’s 2017 Ave maria stella (SATB and organ), was written for David Woodcock and the Choir of Harrow School.

Ave Maria Stella

The composer’s 2018 “Sicut Cervus” (SABT) was commissioned by Buckfast Abbey in celebration of the millennium of its foundation. It was first performed by the Choir of Buckfast Abbey in April 2018, conducted by Philip Arkwright.

Martin’s Missa speravimus (2018), was a co-commissioned by the Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy and by Edward and Sarah Armitage to commemorate their 20th wedding anniversary. It is composed for SATB and organ.

In 2018, he had a commission of “O Salutaris Hostia” (SATB chor), a commission by Jesus College, Cambridge. It was premiered by the college’s choir in 2019.

Also in 2019, he composed the antiphon “Vidi aquam” (SATB) for a baptism. That year, he also published “In the midst of thy temple” (chorus and organ). It was commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for a service held on in October 2019 to mark the 750th anniversary of the dedication of the Abbey Church of Henry III. It was first performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by James O'Donnell with Peter Holder. It was included in the Hyperion recording Dove, Weir & Martin: Choral Works (2022) by Choir of Westminster Abbey under James O'Donnell.

Vidi aquam

In 2019, he published “In the midst of thy temple,” commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for a service held on 15th October 2019 to mark the 750th anniversary of the dedication of the Abbey Church of Henry III and first performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by James O'Donnell with Peter Holder. It was also included in Dove, Weir & Martin: Choral Works, the recording on Hyperion mentioned above. Martin’s test piece, Triptych, was written for the 2019 St Albans International Organ Competition.

The year before his King’s College commission, in 2021, Alex Mason and the Choir of Lancing College commissioned “The Earth is the Lord’s” from Martin. It was performed at Lancing College in April 2022.

Other works Martin as composed are a “Haec dies” for the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge in 2015.

“Haec dies”

Also, there is a “Novo frofusi guadio” by Martin just performed in 2022 by the Choir of New College Oxford at their Epiphany Service. There is an anthem “Te lucis ane Terminum” and The Westminster Service” include Magnificat and Nunc dimittis. The Westminster Service, “Sitivit anima mea,” “O Oriens,” and “Behold now, praise the Lord” are included in the Hyperion recording mentioned above. Scouring the composer’s social media we also found “Nowell, sing we” and a Jubilate.

"Nowell, sing we"

"Jubilate deo"

The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, where Martin had served as an organ scholar in the 1990s, recorded his sacred works in the album Jubilate Deo (Opus Arte 2014). The album’s premiere recordings included the title piece, “Te lucis ante terminum,” the St. John’s College Service, “Dormi Jesu!,” Short Mass of St. Domenic, “A song of the New Jerusalem,” and “Laudate Domminum.” The recording also included the anthem “In the Year that King Uzziah Died,” “Christe redemptor omnium,” the Chester Missa Brevis, and “Justorum animae.”

"Te lucis ante terminum"

Martin also wrote for the Cheltenham Music Festival (Trumpet Sonata) and The Tallis Scholars (Lamentations of Jeremiah).

Carol for King's College 2022

Matthew Martin’s chose the text of "Angelus ad Virginem" which is an old carol dating back to the late 13th Century. Chaucer mentioned the carol in “The Milleres Tale” in his Canterbury Tales. An Annunciation carol, one late-thirteenth century sources attributes it to the Chancellor of Paris. Scholar Christopher Page, in an article on the carol, stated that it may be Phillip the Chancellor (d.1236), who had written other popular songs at the time, although Page is unsure this person wrote the tune. However, the editors of the New Oxford Book of Carols, include three tunes, dating tune I to the late thirteenth century, tune II to the mid-fourteenth century, and tune III to the early fourteenth century.

In Daniel Hyde’s interview on the Gramaphone Podcast (Dec. 22, 2022) Hyde says he had asked Martin to pay homage to the late Simon Preston (d. 2022) (See Preston's "I saw three ships"). For that reason, other than the trebles and lower voices alternating the dialog of Gabriel and Mary, Martin appears to use all five verses using the exchanges between the lay clerks and boy choristers with lots of organ adornos throughout ala Preston.