Through Benjamin Britten, Sir James came to see how classical music is not simply an art of the past, but also how it can speak to our times in its own modern expressions, whether it be music for the church, amateurs, professionals, and children. Britten’s cantata, Rejoice in the Lamb, expresses a playfulness and silliness based on the text of the poet Christopher Smart. The words reveal Smart’s inner neuroses who was in asylum at that time. But through that language, we can also find an unusual but extraordinary vision of God.
Performed by Voces8, with orchestrations by Imogen Holst); Foundation Choir and Orchestra, Conducted by Barnaby Smith:
