Johnson, Sebastian: Norwich Service
From: £3.75
SATB and organ (with divisions)
The mystical, reflective aspects of the time-honoured Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis are to the fore in Sebastian Johnson’s Norwich Service, winner of the 2022 Lord Mayor’s Composition Prize. Carefully resolved dissonance in a graceful, expressive polyphony coloured by whole-tone and chromatic elements is key to this new piece, praised by the judges for the clarity of its word-setting and suitability to the needs of a capable parish choir with minimal divisions. The music moves unhurriedly yet purposefully between well-plotted transitions of tempo, with clear points of tonal reference. Both Glorias proceed seamlessly from their preceding canticle, concluding in a luminous B major. Not merely supportive, the organ adds incandescence to the music, and dramatic impact in response to the promptings of the text. The work of a young composer already steeped in twentieth-century English choral music, yet adding his own voice to those of Howells, Leighton and other icons of the cathedral tradition, the Norwich Service is a compellingly fresh addition to the contemporary repertoire for the Anglican rite.
It is clearly the work of a young composer thoroughly immersed in the English choral tradition but the confident use of coloured harmony and chromaticism is beguiling and with many unexpected, yet welcome twists. All the emotional drama you might expect from one of the great settings of Herbert Howells is here and yet nothing is technically too demanding for either choir or organist.
– Rupert Gough for Choir and Organ Magazine, Autumn 2024
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