Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox. Lynne Dawson as the soprano, Della Jones as the contralto and Stephen Roberts as the baritone.
I - Prelude (0:00) - "Crux fidelis" (3:18) - "Almighty Lord we pray thee" (7:11) - "Now in the place where he was crucified" (9:35) - "Peter wen forth" (18:01) - "Regina coeli" (26:59) - "And behold, two of them went" (30:12) - Conversation piece (30:37) - "And Jesus led them" (34:27) - "Viri Galilaei" (39:09)
Rubbra's Symphony No.9 (subtitled "The Resurrection") was conceived on March 1961, from an oratorio suggestion from his publisher Bernard de Nevers. The composer was also inspired by the painting "The Risen Christ" (c. 1490) by the Italian painter Bartolomeo Suardi "Bramantino". The project advanced with increasing difficulty until Rubbra completed Symphony No.8 on 1968, by then the oratorio turned symphony that was finished on Good Friday of 1972. It was premiered on February 30 of 1973, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Groves. The soloists were Miriam Bowen, Norma Procter and Benjamin Luxon. Rubbra regarded the "Sinfonia Sacra" as his most personal achievement.
Written in a single continuous movement, the symphony tells the story of the Resurrection: the death on the cross, the entombment, the rolling away of the rock, and the appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples at Emmaus. The formal design of the piece reflects the Bach Passions, although of course the narrative follows on from these. Rubbra also decided to use a contralto, rather than a tenor, for the role of Evangelist as this would both give a fresh timbre to the very traditional role, and emphasize the importance of women in this part of the gospel narrative.
The symphony is divided into four sections, each ending with a Latin hymn (set by Rubbra). Formal unity is achieved through the recurrent use of motives and intervals rather than by a more symphonic development of the thematic material. Additionally, at the end of three sections a Lutheran chorale is included, seamlessly following the preceding hymn. The choice of Catholic hymns and Protestant chorals is important as a conscious symbol of the unification of the two sides of the Western Christian tradition.
The prelude depicts the text "There was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour" given at the head of the score and sets the scene for Christ's cry of despair at the Crucifixion "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" In the composer’s words: "From these opening chords spring not only the basic tonal centres of the work but the intervals that shape so much of the vocal writing." The orchestral interlude after Christ’s last words on the Cross leads into the Latin hymn "Crux fidelis" and a wonderful chorale tune by Johannes Crüger ends the first section.
The second part narrates the discovery of the empty tomb by the two Marys and includes a magical echo chorus of divisi tenors. It concludes with the ecstatically set Latin hymn "Resurrexi, et adhunc tecum sum". The narration now continues into the next section which introduces a small but crucial part for soprano (Mary Magdalene) where the story of the mistaken identity and then recognition of Christ in the garden is told in austerely beautiful music. This part ends with the Latin hymn "Regina caeli" and a chorale by Melchior Teschner.
After the momentous events of the Crucifixion and Resurection, the mood of the text changes and, following a brief spoken introduction, the only musical break in the work, a purely orchestral interlude entitled "Conversation Piece" follows. This shows Rubbra at his most Holstian and, as people would converse while walking, the same musical ideas often walk together but at different speeds. The final part follows the narration to the ascension of Christ and ends with the Latin hymn "Viri Galilei" beautifully set with an accompaniment of bell-like violin figurations. A chorale by Hans Leo Haßler ends this deeply meditative work in an affirmative A Major.
[Activate subtitles in order to follow the lyrics]
Pictures: [Left] "The Entombment of Christ" (1603-4) by Italian painter Caravaggio. [Centre] "The Risen Christ" (c. 1490) by Italian painter Bartolomeo Suardi "Bramantino". [Right] "The Ascension" (1801) by the British-American painter Benjamin West.
Source: tinyurl.com/2d4u4hmt
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox. Lynne Dawson as the soprano, Della Jones as the contralto and Stephen Roberts as the baritone.
I - Prelude (0:00) - "Crux fidelis" (3:18) - "Almighty Lord we pray thee" (7:11) - "Now in the place where he was crucified" (9:35) - "Peter wen forth" (18:01) - "Regina coeli" (26:59) - "And behold, two of them went" (30:12) - Conversation piece (30:37) - "And Jesus led them" (34:27) - "Viri Galilaei" (39:09)
Rubbra's Symphony No.9 (subtitled "The Resurrection") was conceived on March 1961, from an oratorio suggestion from his publisher Bernard de Nevers. The composer was also inspired by the painting "The Risen Christ" (c. 1490) by the Italian painter Bartolomeo Suardi "Bramantino". The project advanced with increasing difficulty until Rubbra completed Symphony No.8 on 1968, by then the oratorio turned symphony that was finished on Good Friday of 1972. It was premiered on February 30 of 1973, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Groves. The soloists were Miriam Bowen, Norma Procter and Benjamin Luxon. Rubbra regarded the "Sinfonia Sacra" as his most personal achievement.
Written in a single continuous movement, the symphony tells the story of the Resurrection: the death on the cross, the entombment, the rolling away of the rock, and the appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples at Emmaus. The formal design of the piece reflects the Bach Passions, although of course the narrative follows on from these. Rubbra also decided to use a contralto, rather than a tenor, for the role of Evangelist as this would both give a fresh timbre to the very traditional role, and emphasize the importance of women in this part of the gospel narrative.
The symphony is divided into four sections, each ending with a Latin hymn (set by Rubbra). Formal unity is achieved through the recurrent use of motives and intervals rather than by a more symphonic development of the thematic material. Additionally, at the end of three sections a Lutheran chorale is included, seamlessly following the preceding hymn. The choice of Catholic hymns and Protestant chorals is important as a conscious symbol of the unification of the two sides of the Western Christian tradition.
The prelude depicts the text "There was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour" given at the head of the score and sets the scene for Christ's cry of despair at the Crucifixion "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" In the composer’s words: "From these opening chords spring not only the basic tonal centres of the work but the intervals that shape so much of the vocal writing." The orchestral interlude after Christ’s last words on the Cross leads into the Latin hymn "Crux fidelis" and a wonderful chorale tune by Johannes Crüger ends the first section.
The second part narrates the discovery of the empty tomb by the two Marys and includes a magical echo chorus of divisi tenors. It concludes with the ecstatically set Latin hymn "Resurrexi, et adhunc tecum sum". The narration now continues into the next section which introduces a small but crucial part for soprano (Mary Magdalene) where the story of the mistaken identity and then recognition of Christ in the garden is told in austerely beautiful music. This part ends with the Latin hymn "Regina caeli" and a chorale by Melchior Teschner.
After the momentous events of the Crucifixion and Resurection, the mood of the text changes and, following a brief spoken introduction, the only musical break in the work, a purely orchestral interlude entitled "Conversation Piece" follows. This shows Rubbra at his most Holstian and, as people would converse while walking, the same musical ideas often walk together but at different speeds. The final part follows the narration to the ascension of Christ and ends with the Latin hymn "Viri Galilei" beautifully set with an accompaniment of bell-like violin figurations. A chorale by Hans Leo Haßler ends this deeply meditative work in an affirmative A Major.
[Activate subtitles in order to follow the lyrics]
Pictures: [Left] "The Entombment of Christ" (1603-4) by Italian painter Caravaggio. [Centre] "The Risen Christ" (c. 1490) by Italian painter Bartolomeo Suardi "Bramantino". [Right] "The Ascension" (1801) by the British-American painter Benjamin West.
Source: tinyurl.com/2d4u4hmt
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
