UYMP University of York Music Press

Lancaster’s ‘Apocalypse’ CD released by Ex Corde

20 September 2023

UYMP is thrilled that Ex Corde Vocal Ensemble, conducted by Paul Gameson, have released Apocalypse, a new album on the Resonus Classics label, devoted to the choral music of David Lancaster. It comprises three works, all of which are published by UYMP. These pieces draw upon the legacies of artists and craftsmen who lived and work in medieval York and who left evidence of their lives, stories and ideas in carved stone and painted glass.

The earliest music on the disc is the title track Apocalypse dating from 2012. Inspired by the ‘Pricke of Conscience’ window at All Saints’ Church, North Street, York, it tells the story of the end of the world as depicted in fifteen dramatic tableaux. The other major piece is At the Edge of the World, based on the life of anchoress Emma Raughton, who lived in solitary isolation in the same church during the early years of the 14th century. Poet Abi Curtis has provided words to articulate Emma’s story, with other texts drawn from Magnificat and other medieval sources. The soprano soloist in both pieces is Anna Snow.

The third track on the album is a setting of the Magnificat, which David Lancaster composed specifically so that it could be broken into fragments and interlaced into the texture of At the Edge of the World, but it is also published and recorded as a stand-alone piece in its own right.

‘Apocalypse’ is available from Resonus Classics: https://www.resonusclassics.com/products/apocalypse-choral-works-by-david-lancaster  .

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