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Founded in 1923 by Sir Compton Mackenzie and Christopher Stone as ‘an organ of candid opinion for the numerous possessors of gramophones’

Music has a message, if we choose to listen

Tempting as it might be to declare this column a politics-free zone, not least in this, the most festive of seasons, to do so wouldn’t really do justice to the relevance we all know music has to the world in the widest sense, something I discussed here last month.

equally shared by great composers of faith and of none: they all recognise the power of what message and music can, combined, convey. It is something that can, of course, be equally true of Lieder and opera. All great art should leave us seeing the world around us, and ourselves, a little differently.

You don’t need me to point out that the year ends with many of our countries more aware of their divisions than when it began. The stark light of the democratic process has highlighted a worrying lack of unity and understanding within what are supposed to be shared societies. (Though it’s worth remembering of course that many more countries don’t even have a democratic process in which such divisions can easily and openly be discussed and addressed.) But given all this, it would perhaps be understandable if we simply sought release from such concerns, and the undoubted challenges they raise, in music – to find transcendence, and escape, through abstract art. But no – to do so would just risk rendering art mere entertainment. This is something that’s particularly pertinent, though not unique, to Christmas choral music, which is a focus of many of this month’s features, as is usual in our December issue. Much music of the church is of course simply beautiful in its own right, and can be taken as a pure and uplifting glimpse of heaven, if you like – at one with the soaring ecclesiastical architecture in which it’s invariably heard. But the music is meant to do more than that. It’s meant to elevate the meaning of the words it sets, not merely subsume them into something pretty and palatable. This is something

But throughout the world, over the next few weeks, people will gather in churches or halls to sing or hear choral pieces – for some the only annual occasion when they might listen to such music. Some of the set words will speak of sharing peace and goodwill with all men – an important message, but also one that’s easy to nod along with and to feel good in doing so. Other words are much more obviously challenging, particularly those which have a bearing on the place that service, or the stranger, or possessions, are meant to play in our lives. Whether you are religious or not, contained in such music is something unsettling – though unsettled, perhaps, is what we need to be.

And when words aren’t involved? Purely instrumental music can be just as unsettling. Works written during periods of uncertainty, or during wars, or by composers in happier times and climes but whose work sought nonetheless to explore the difficulties and complexities of life. Such music was never meant to be escapist. So whatever we choose to listen to this season, let’s listen with open hearts and minds; and then, emboldened and enlightened by what we have heard, endeavour to try to make our world a better place. A very Happy Christmas to you all. martin.cullingford@markallengroup.com

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

‘Rachmaninov’s extraordinary All-Night Vigil has now become an important part of the Western choral landscape’,

‘I’ve always admired Alison Balsom’s determination as a soloist, despite the lack of solo trumpet says IVANMOODY, author of this month’s Collection feature. ‘Making a detailed examination of its recorded history was a fascinating voyage of discovery into its history and importance.’

repertoire, and in the face of much resistance’, says SARAH KIRKUP, who writes our cover story. ‘It was a pleasure to meet her, and to ind that this determination is coupled with great warmth and humility.’

‘I long dreamt of being able to play the organ as well as Simon Preston’, admits MARC ROCHESTER,

writer of this issue’s Icons, ‘but since that was clearly going to be impossible, I settled for writing about the organ instead. I’ve enjoyed repaying a bit of the debt I owe to this Great of the organ world.’

THE REVIEWERS Andrew Achenbach • David Allen • Nalen Anthoni • Tim Ashley • Mike Ashman • Richard Bratby Edward Breen • Liam Cagney • Philip Clark • Alexandra Coghlan • Rob Cowan (consultant reviewer) Jeremy Dibble • Peter Dickinson • Jed Distler • Adrian Edwards • Richard Fairman • David Fallows David Fanning • Andrew Farach-Colton • Iain Fenlon • Neil Fisher • Fabrice Fitch • Jonathan Freeman-Attwood Charlotte Gardner • Caroline Gill • David Gutman • Christian Hoskins • Lindsay Kemp • Philip Kennicott Richard Lawrence • Andrew Mellor • Kate Molleson • Ivan Moody • Bryce Morrison • Hannah Nepil Jeremy Nicholas • Christopher Nickol • Geo frey Norris • Richard Osborne • Stephen Plaistow • Mark Pullinger Peter Quantrill • Guy Rickards • Malcolm Riley • Marc Rochester • Patrick Rucker • Julie Anne Sadie Edward Seckerson • Hugo Shirley • Pwyll ap Siôn • Harriet Smith • David Patrick Stearns • David Threasher David Vickers • John Warrack • Richard Whitehouse • Arnold Whittall • Richard Wigmore • William Yeoman

Gramophone, which has been serving the classical music world since 1923, is irst and foremost a monthly review magazine, delivered today in both print and digital formats. It boasts an eminent and knowledgeable panel of experts, which reviews the full range of classical music recordings. Its reviews are completely independent. In addition to reviews, its interviews and features help readers to explore in greater depth the recordings that the magazine covers, as well as o fer insight into the work of composers and performers. It is the magazine for the classical record collector, as well as for the enthusiast starting a voyage of discovery.

gramophone.co.uk

GRAMOPHONE DECEMBER 2016 3