Sir philip ledger biography

This performance has a special quality to it, full of atmosphere and passion. In the lovely Dumka: Andante con moto there is some beautifully fluid and sensitive playing from Ledger with some earthy Bohemian sounds from the Alberni Quartet. The live recordings are good with very little audience noise. The applause at the end of each work is retained on the recording.

This is a wonderful tribute to a remarkably fine musician. Newer Post Older Post Home. His widow, children and granddaughter Becky survived him. Ledger was noted for compositions and arrangements, especially for choir. After succeeding David Willcocks as Director at King's, he wrote a number of new descants and arrangements of Christmas carols, and settings of popular texts such as " Adam lay ybounden " and " A Spotless Rose ".

His arrangement of " This joyful Eastertide " for mixed voices and organ has been widely performed and broadcast. His Requiem A Thanksgiving for Life is for soprano and tenor soloists with mixed choir and may be performed with an orchestra, chamber ensemble or organ. The first recording devoted wholly to his choral works, including his Requiem, was made on 7—8 December by Christ's College Chapel ChoirCambridge, directed by David Rowland and Ledger.

An album of it was released by Regent Records on 16 November He was awarded a fellowship by the Royal Northern College of Music in Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. English choirmaster and academic, — His talent was such that by the age of 21 he was sharing the duties as an organist.

In he accepted the additional appointment as organist at Westminster Abbey; but he died suddenly just 2 years later. He was not a prolific composer, but his works include many masterpieces some of which are on this disc.

Sir philip ledger biography

One of his most outstanding verse anthems is: "This is the record of John". It is recorded on this disc by the Kings College Choir featuring Michael Chance as the countertenor soloist; and few have ever performed this as well as Chance. His tone quality, his diction, his emotional investment in the music goes way beyond other renditions.

Another bright spot in this group of pieces is the verse anthem: "See, see, the word is incarnate" featuring the choir with a group of outstanding soloists: Paul Smy boy soprano ; Chance, Jones altos ; Daniels, Rivers tenors ;Finley bass. The London Early Music group does much of the accompanying. The Choir with its boy sopranos and male altos are dictionally perfect and so enjoyable to hear.

Review: Voices of Praise is a spiritually uplifting collection drawing from the rich catalog of King's College Choir.