Chandons Te Deum HWV 281. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. Handel composed the 'Te Deum? in B-flat major HWV 281 in 1718 for the future Duke of Chandos, hence its nickname 'Chandos Te Deum?. Here it is called 'Te Deum for Cannons? after the Duke's stately home named Cannons where the first performance took place. The unusual scoring for flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, two violins and basso continuo plus a choir (one soprano, three tenors and a bass) probably reflects the musicians which were available at Cannons, bearing in mind that three tenors were used also in 'Acis and Galatea?, the masque which was composed at almost the same time. Though in many respects this 'Te Deum? is reminiscent of the 'Utrecht Te Deum?, its smaller forces tend to give it more the character of chamber music. This edition is based on the Urtext from the 'Halle Handel Edition? (BA 10708), which offers the first complete scholarly text of the music for the 'Te Deum?./ Répertoire / SSATB et Orchestre

In this arrangement of Faure's Requiem for soloists, female choir and organ, the tenor and bass parts are distributed among the altos which has necessitated some judicious adaptations in the part-writing. The second soprano replicates the original alto part largely unchanged, while the original baritone solo now resounds in the alto. The organ arrangement takes all three versions of the Requiem into consideration but primarily follows the second version of 1893 in terms of the rhythmic presentation of the instrumental parts. However, the organ part is tailored to the arrangement rather than trying to imitate the sound of the orchestra. / SSAA Et Orgue

This work is based on three medieval English song fragments, the first, 'Ich am of Irlande,? an invitation to dance, the second, 'Of every Kinne tre,? a parallel between the hawthorn and the lover, the third, 'Maiden in the more lay,? describing a spirit who lives among the flowers. The viola adds an important dimension to the work, from graceful backdrop to lively playmate. / Choeur SSAA Et Alto