Description
We are delighted to present our sixth album, Lux Aeterna (2022). 
About the CD
Grief touches all of us at some point during our lives, affecting each person in different ways. The music on this album is intended to illustrate some of the possible emotions therein, exploring musical responses to mourning and loss. In broad terms we focus on three perspectives: uncertainty, acknowledgement and hope. Tallis and Byrd beautifully capture a sense of powerlessness in their works, asking for forgiveness and protection. The pieces by Tavener and Morales present a series of questions, seeking reassurance for those whose lives are at an end. Settings by Eleanor Daley and Joanna Marsh call on us to enjoy all that life has to offer, with a reminder not to let grief overwhelm us. When putting this album together, we particularly wanted to explore shades of positivity: there is hope to be found in knowing that the good someone has brought into the world will live on after they have passed. If you like, this is a sequence for the souls of the departed, to be heard by those who remember them. Owain Park © 2022
Tracklist
Keep me as the apple of an eye Neil Cox (b.1955)
In ieiunio et fletu Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585)
Lumen Donna McKevitt (b.1970)
Funeral Ikos Sir John Tavener (1944-2013)
And there was war in heaven Howard Skempton (b.1947)
Parce mihi, Domine Cristóbal de Morales (c.1500-1553)
Peccantem me quotidie William Byrd (1539/40-1623)
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts Z58c Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Sequence: In Parenthesis Owain Park (b.1993)
For the fallen Douglas Guest (1916-1996)
In remembrance Eleanor Daley (b.1955)
Present yourselves as a living sacrifice James O’Donnell (b.1961)
I take thee Joanna Marsh (b.1970)
Communio: Lux aeterna Cristóbal de Morales (c.1500-1553)
A Good-Night Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012)
Reviews
Choir & Organ Magazine, Clare Stevens | October 2022
“This exquisite programme… is a thoughtful exploration of grief and remembrance. … From the opening phrase… to the last note… the music is flawlessly performed.”
Magazin Klassik, Dr Matthias Large | March 2023
“In flowing linearity, the vocal qualities basically unfold ideally, fine nuances are clearly formulated, rare moments of clear vocal manifestation set accents. The noble line gets space, but never gets bleed or unstructured. In addition, an active, understanding-promoting diction can be recorded: The vocalists not only indulge in their self-intoxicated with their balsamic sound, but are rather honest mediators of the content called. Intoned is wonderfully free and solved, in all layers and harmonious requirements safe as on rails – many gratifying moments in final turns and enchanting chordl connections underline this fabulous quality. … A conceptually compelling album that is sung with outstanding quality: The Gesualdo Six give themselves and the audience a wonderful gift.”
Crescendo Magazine, Christopher Steyne | May 2023
“This new release shows the seven singers at the top of their game. Captured in a flattering acoustic (All Hallows, Gospel Oak), the sumptuous vocal production knows how to take us into an oriented landscape, through chosen paths where pain abdicates for visions of comfort.”
