Had Thomas Tudway been able to keep his low opinion of Queen Anne to himself, we would probably know more of his music. As it was, his career led him not to the royal court but to Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. The substantial Jubilate and Te Deum he wrote for the consecration of the chapel there bookends this National Trust-funded disc by the young players of Eboracum Baroque under their director Chris Parsons. We also hear three of Tudway’s anthems, plus one by his colleague James Hawkins.
Tudway is not in the same league as his rival Henry Purcell – but then neither were any of their contemporaries whose music has survived. There are some lively episodes in the Te Deum especially, given extra spirit by the addition of a small orchestra. The vocal soloists, drawn from the small choir, are patchy, but the best are good, and the choral singing and playing are stylish.
