O Magnum Mysterium

Instrumentation

Unaccompanied voices SATBB

Other Information

Originally scored for alto, tenor and bass soloists and SATTBB choir. (SSA version of Motet and version of Mass for SSAATB choir with organ, transcribed by Cynthia Downes, now also available.)

Motet, O Magnum Mysterium - text from the ´Tenebrae Responses´, composed in 1969 before Andrew Downes went up to Cambridge University as a Choral Scholar at St John’s College, and performed by Andrew Downes with two other soloists from the Midland Boy Singers in the Wigmore Hall, London, on 4th October 1969.

´The single most striking feature of Saturday afternoon’s joint programme in the Wigmore Hall by the Midland Boy Singers (conductor Peter Grant) and the London Boy Singers (conductor, Jonathan Steele) was the counter-tenor singing of Andrew Downes. A founder member of the former choir, a choral scholar elect of St.John’s College, Cambridge, and the composer of an imaginatively meritorious setting of ‘O Magnum Mysterium’..., he could well be a figure to watch out for...´                                                                                      THE TIMES

Mass completed in 1973, when Andrew Downes was studying at the Royal College of Music with Herbert Howells.

´In a quiet (but strong) way one of the most effective composers coming to me these days. I have very considerable hopes for him.´ HERBERT HOWELLS (Report on Andrew Downes)

O Magnum Mysterium Motet and Mass was first performed by Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir conducted by the composer in Birmingham Cathedral in December 1976 and was subsequently recorded by Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir for BBC Radio from Temple Balsall.

Performed at  King´s Chapel, Boston, Massachusetts on August 22nd 2006 by the Millennium Scholars directed by Paula Downes.

An arrangement of the Motet for high voices, was dedicated in 2001 to Heather Fairs, former music teacher of Andrew Downes’ two daughters, Anna and Paula.