Paul's next LP 8 Years in the making

Momentarily stepping away from rock'n'roll, Paul McCartney will release
his next classical project, "Ecce Cor Meum," Sept. 26 via EMI Classics.
Eight years in the making, "Ecce Cor Meum" (Latin for "Behold My
Heart") will be McCartney's fourth classical album since 1991's "The
Liverpool Oratorio."

The piece was commissioned by former Magdalen College president Anthony
Smith in hopes McCartney would create "a choral piece which could be
sung by young people the world over in the same way that Handel's
Messiah is."

The album, an Oratorio in four movements, is scored for choir and
orchestra, with lyrics that combine English and Latin. It was given its
first preview performance in 2001 by the Magdalen College Choir, which
was conducted by Bill Ives at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford.

"Ecce Cor Meum" was recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios between
March 13-17; among the artists that contributed to the sessions were
EMI artist Kate Royal, the Boys of King's College Choir, Cambridge, the
Boys of Magdalen College Choir, Oxford and the Academy Of St. Martin in
the Fields, conducted by Gavin Greenway.

fattuchus...

A couple of questions.

Did Paul write this entirely himself? It is my understanding that at
least som eof his prior work was co-authored.

Has anyone heard Paul's classical music? Is it any good?

Runnnerr...

I have Paul's Standing Stone and The Liverpool Oratorio. I also saw the
NYC debut of the Oratorio at Carnegie Hall. I know nothing about
classical music and can't tell good from bad for anything, but I found
these two pieces to be enjoyable.

JohnB...

I have Standing Stone - and I can say it's good in parts. Having said
that, I haven't played it for at least a couple of years, but snippets
appear on Classic FM every now and then. Some nice melodies but
perhaps lacking the depth in countermelody and melodic variation that
would raise it to the level of "more established" classical works. It
certainly got better reviews than his Liverpool Oratorio.