Choral Evensong - 23 January 2016

Bernstein's Chichester Psalms were commissioned in 1965 by the Rev'd Walter Hussey who had previously commissioned works by Britten, Walton and Finzi. Although the work was commissioned for the Southern Cathedrals Festival held at Chichester that year, the first performance was given at the Philharmonic Hall in New York with Bernstein himself conducting. The work sets text from Psalms 100, 108, 2, 23, 131 and 133.

Leonard Bernstein is now remembered predominantly as a composer although he was also a highly influential conductor, author, music lecturer and pianist. Bernstein was the first American-born music director of the New York Philharmonic and he was a hugely significant figure in the rise of classical music in the USA. 

The Choir has recorded the Chichester Psalms and the recording is available to purchase here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bernstein-Chichester-Psalms-other-works/dp/B008MWFER2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453712362&sr=8-1&keywords=chichester+psalms+st+johns