-07.10.1991

Liverpool Oratorio

Album sleeve for Liverpool Oratorio
-07.10.1991
Album sleeve for Liverpool Oratorio
CARL DAVIS & PAUL McCARTNEY - Liverpool OratorioCARL DAVIS & PAUL McCARTNEY - Liverpool OratorioCARL DAVIS & PAUL McCARTNEY - Liverpool OratorioCARL DAVIS & PAUL McCARTNEY - Liverpool OratorioCARL DAVIS & PAUL McCARTNEY - Liverpool Oratorio
CARL DAVIS & PAUL McCARTNEY - Liverpool Oratorio
Release date - 7 October 1991

Tracklisting

  1. Movement I - War Andante (Orchestra)
  2. Movement I - War 'Non Nobis Solum'
  3. Movement I - War 'The Air Raid Siren Slices Through...' (Shanty)
  4. Movement I - War 'Oh Will It All End Here ' (Shanty)
  5. Movement I - War 'Mother And Father Holding Their Child'
  6. Movement II - School 'We're Here In School Today To Get A Perfect Education'
  7. Movement II - School 'Walk In Single File Out Of The Classroom' (Headmaster)
  8. Movement II - School 'Settle Down'
  9. Movement II - School 'Kept In Confusion' (Shanty)
  10. Movement II - School 'I'll Always Be Here' (Mary Dee)
  11. Movement II - School 'Boys, This Is Your Teacher' (Headmaster, Miss Inkley)
  12. Movement II - School 'Tres Conejos' (Miss Inkley, Headmaster, Shanty)
  13. Movement II - School 'Not For Ourselves' (Headmaster, Miss Inkley, Shanty)
  14. Movement III - Crypt 'And So It Was That I Had Grown' (Shanty)
  15. Movement III - Crypt Dance
  16. Movement III - Crypt 'I Used To Come Here When This Place Was A Crypt' (Shanty, Preacher)
  17. Movement III - Crypt 'Here Now' (Shanty)
  18. Movement III - Crypt 'I'll Always Be Here' (Mary Dee, Shanty)
  19. Movement III - Crypt 'Now's The Time To Tell Him' (Mary Dee, Shanty)
  20. Movement IV - Father Andante Lamentoso
  21. Movement IV - Father 'o Father, You Have Given...' (Chief Mourner)
  22. Movement IV - Father '(Ah)'
  23. Movement IV - Father 'Hey, Wait A Minute' (Shanty)
  24. Movement IV - Father 'Father, Father, Father' (Shanty, Chief Mourner)
  25. Movement V Wedding Andante Amoroso - 'I Know I Should Be Glad Of This' (Shanty, Mary Dee)
  26. Movement V Wedding - 'Father, Hear Our Humble Voices' (Preacher)
  27. Movement V Wedding 'Hosanna, Hosanna' (Mary Dee, Shanty)
  28. Movement VI Work Allegro Energico
  29. Movement VI Work 'Working Women At The Top' (Mary Dee)
  30. Movement VI Work Violin Solo
  31. Movement VI Work 'Did I Sign The Letter...' (Mary Dee)
  32. Movement VI - Work Tempo I
  33. Movement VI Work 'When You Ask A Working Man' (Shanty, Mr. Dingle)
  34. Movement VI - Work - 'Let's Find Ourselves A Little Hostelry' (Mr. Dingle)
  35. Movement VII - Crises - Allegro Molto
  36. Movement VII - Crises - 'The World You're Coming Into' (Mary Dee)
  37. Movement VII - Crises - Tempo I
  38. Movement VII - Crises - 'Where's My Dinner ' (Shanty, Mary Dee)
  39. Movement VII - Crises - 'Let's Not Argue' (Shanty, Mary Dee)
  40. Movement VII - Crises - 'I'm Not A Slave' (Mary Dee, Shanty)
  41. Movement VII - Crises - 'Right! That's It!' (Mary Dee)
  42. Movement VII - Crises - 'Stop. Wait.'
  43. Movement VII - Crises - 'Do You Know Who You Are...' (Nurse)
  44. Movement VII - Crises - 'Ghosts Of The Past Left Behind' [Taken from Liverpool Oratorio Selections]
  45. Movement VII - Crises - 'Do We Live In A World...' (Mary Dee, Nurse, Shanty)
  46. Movement VIII - Peace - 'And So It Was That You Were Born' (Shanty)
  47. Movement VIII - Peace - 'God Is Good'
  48. Movement VIII - Peace - 'What People Want Is A Family Life' (Preacher)
  49. Movement VIII - Peace - 'Dad's In The Garden' (Nurse, Mary Dee, Preacher, Shanty)
  50. Movement VIII - Peace - 'So On And On The Story Goes' (Shanty, Mary Dee)

Album Notes

Paul’s first full-scale departure into classical music was unveiled with the live recording of Liverpool Oratorio. On the night itself, Paul explained: “I remember coming here to Liverpool Anglican Cathedral when I was 11 to audition for the choir. I failed the audition. I always hoped that one day I would be able to get my own back.” From a rough outline concept the project developed into an eight movements, a triumph that befits its two esteemed creators, Paul and his symphonic collaborator Carl Davis. Each of the movements has a theme – War, School, Crypt, Father, Wedding, Work, Crises and Peace, each of them loosely based on Paul's life, and entrancing in its own way. The album was a huge success on the classical charts upon release and even entered the mainstream US Top 200, almost unheard of for a classical piece of work.

Performed by:
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: Soprano (Mary Dee)
Sally Burgess: Mezzo-sopraono (Miss Inkley / Chief Mourner / Nurse)
Jerry Hadley: Tenor (Shanty)
Willard White: Bass (Headmaster / Preacher / Mr Dingle)
Jeremy Budd: Boy Soloist
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir & Choristers of Liverpool Cathedral
Chorus Master & Master of the Choristers: Ian Tracey
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Leader: Malcolm Stewart
Conducted by Carl Davis
Malcolm Stewart: Solo Violin
Ian Balmain: Solo Trumpet
Timothy Walden: Solo Cello
Anna Cooper: Cor Anglais
All tracks composed by Paul McCartney
Executive Producer: Paul McCartney
Producer: John Fraser
Balance engineer: John Timperley
Additional Engeineers: Eddie Klein, Peter Mew, Martin Astle, Tom Leader
Editor: Peter Mew & Tom Leader
Assistant to Carl Davis: Nic Raine
Recorded live at Liverpool Cathedral, 18th & 29th June 1991
All tracks published by MPL Communications Ltd

Three years ago I was given the opportunity when Carl Davis approached me on behalf of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society to write a piece for their 150th Anniversary Celebrations. Carl and I started working then on what was to become the Oratorio for Liverpool. Finally, after hundreds of hours of scoring and re-scoring we finished it.
Paul