AllMovie

Profoundly haunted by the death of a close friend in an automobile accident, Parisian composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) took a sojourn to the shrine of the Black Madonna in Rocamadour, south France, a site notorious for its inexplicable muse-like inspiration on numerous authors of classical compositions. Forever transformed by the shrine's aesthetic and atmospheric effect on his spirit, Poulenc authored the Stabat Mater, a stirring, triumphant, and impassioned work that he created for chorus and orchestra. The Stabat Mater release includes a performance of the title piece by several Cambridge choral groups including The Choir of St. John's College, The Choir of Clare College, The Choir of Gonville College, and The Choir of Caius College -- all accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, with Christopher Robinson conducting. Two additional classical performances in this release include the aforementioned Clare Choir, Gonville Choir, and Caius Choir performing Litanies à la Vierge Noir as conducted by Geoffrey Webber, and Quatre Motets pour un temps de pénitence as conducted by Timothy Brown.