Andrew Downes - A St Luke Passion & Sacred Choral Works (David Trippett)

Information

Composer: Andrew Downes

1. A St Luke Passion, Op. 50 (1992): Part 1
2. A St Luke Passion, Op. 50 (1992): Part 2
3. The Lord is my Shepherd, Op. 65 (1997)
4. The Souls of the Righteous, Op. 31 No. 2 (1984)
5. In Peace I Will Lie Down and Sleep, Op. 31 No. 3 (1984)
6. O Love the Lord, All Ye His Saints, Op. 31 No. 1 (1984)
7. O Magnum Mysterium, Op. 2 (1973): Motet
8. O Magnum Mysterium, Op. 2 (1973): Kyrie
9. O Magnum Mysterium, Op. 2 (1973): Gloria
10. O Magnum Mysterium, Op. 2 (1973): Sanctus
11. O Magnum Mysterium, Op. 2 (1973): Benedictus
12. O Magnum Mysterium, Op. 2 (1973): Agnus Dei
13. What Shall I Do to Show How Much I Love Her? Op. 5 (1973)
14. Ave Maris Stella, Op. 4 (1974)
15. O Vos Omnes, Op. 23 (1981)
16. Te Deum, Op. 110 (2017)
17. Ave Maria, Op. 6 (1974)

Morgan Pearse, baritone

Philharmonia Voices & Orchestra

David Trippett, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Prima Facie

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Andrew Downes (1950–2023) was a Midlands-based composer whose choral works combine contrapuntal sophistication with diverse global influences. The premiere recording of his A St Luke Passion features The Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Voices under conductor David Trippett. Commissioned in 1993 by the Wolverhampton Civic Choir, the work blends Tudor-inspired counterpoint with elements drawn from African drumming, North Indian classical modal scales, jazz, and rock. Scored for choir, tenor soloist, keyboard, percussion, and strings, the Passion employs innovative rhythmic layering, evocative instrumentation, and dramatic narrative, creating a multi-dimensional, cross-cultural homage to sacred music traditions.

David Trippett is a distinguished scholar specializing in nineteenth-century intellectual history, Richard Wagner, and the philosophy of technology, with additional interests in Franz Liszt, post-Classical Weimar, and musical creativity in the digital age. After earning his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2010, he held research and teaching positions at Christ’s College, Cambridge and the University of Bristol. His publications include Wagner’s Melodies and edited volumes on opera, digital culture, and Wagner. He led an ERC-funded project on sound and materialism and produced the first critical edition and performing edition of Liszt’s opera Sardanapalo. David has received major awards from the American Musicological Society, Society for Ethnomusicology, and other institutions, and maintains an active career as a pianist and conductor.