Holy is the true light (New Horizons)

ISBN 10: 0193407248 ISBN 13: 9780193407244

Publisher: Oxford University Press Music, 2014

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied Jackson's Holy is the true light sets a text translated from the Salisbury Diurnal that emphasizes the solace of faith in times of conflict. The fluid changes in time and key signatures and effective division of voices create a strong musical impression of serenity and strength.

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About the Author:

Gabriel Jackson was born in Bermuda. After three years as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral he studied composition at the Royal College of Music. Jackson's music has been commissioned, performed and broadcast worldwide, and his works have been presented at many festivals including Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Spitalfields, and the BBC Proms. His liturgical pieces are in the repertoires of many of Britain's cathedral and collegiate choirs, and his choral works in general have been recorded by some of the world's leading choirs including Polyphony, The Vasari Singers, The State Choir of Latvia, and Merton College Choir, Oxford. He is currently the Associate Composer to the BBC Singers, who have premiered and broadcast a number of recent commissions. Over recent years Jackson's music has been equally focussed on instrumental works. Commissions include works for organist Michael Bonaventure, Red Note Ensemble, and the Lunar Sax Quartet.

Review:

Holy is the true light was written for Westminster Abbey Choir, and its rich, expressive and rather close harmonies create a sense of radiance as the work moves towards climax. * www.planethugill.com, September 2016 * Gabriel Jackson starts quietly and gently in four parts, but the music increases in texture (with rich clusters), volume, rhythmic drive and complexity to reach a thrilling climax on 'rejoice with gladness' - music which seems then to carry on 'evermore', undimmed but gradually receding into the distance until the opening reappears transformed as an 'alleluia'. It is a profound and satisfying piece. * James L. Montgomery, Sunday by Sunday (RSCM) * Unhurried quarter-note motion is punctuated with accented syncopations that help propel the piece from the first bar . . . The clusters at times create a blurred sense of any tonal center with implications of blinding light, by the over-abundance of tonal information . . . With an abundance of unconventional chords presenting tuning challenges and an unhurried pace requiring sustained energy, this piece will challenge singers, yet it is a worthy goal for experienced choirs. * Henry Mollicone, Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, January 16 * Like William Harris's celebrated setting of the same words, Jackson's is perfect introit material. Although it starts and finishes in four voices, much of the piece adopts an eight-voice disposition so that the climax is full-textured and ravishing. Devotees of Jackson's work will be familiar with the composer's signature clusters and enharmonic shifts. As ever with his music, craftsmanship and pragmatism are evident in every bar, dynamics are carefully managed, and the arch of the piece accurately articulates George Palmer's pretty translation of Latin words from the Salisbury Diurnal. * Jeremy Summerly, Choir & Organ, July 15 *

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