The Credo is a composition for choir and orchestra set to the text of the Nicene Creed by the Scottish composer James MacMillan.
It was first performed August 7, 2012 at The Proms in Royal Albert Hall, London, by the BBC Philharmonic, the Manchester Chamber Choir, the Northern Sinfonia Chorus, and the Rushley Singers under the conductor Juanjo Mena.
[1][2] The Credo has a duration of roughly 20 minutes and is composed in three movements:[1] The work is scored for an SATB choir and orchestra comprising two flutes, oboe, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons (2nd doubling contrabassoon), two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.
Reviewing the world premiere, George Hall of The Guardian praised the Credo, writing:As usual with MacMillan, the music speaks directly, though it is not without subtleties in the skilful choral writing, some of which reference other religious idioms, notably Renaissance polyphony, and something like the ornately decorated style of Western Isles psalm singing; there's also a brief tribute to fellow-Catholic composer Olivier Messiaen in the woodwind birdsong that ends the first movement.
[3]Conversely, Ivan Hewett of The Daily Telegraph criticized MacMillan's mix of traditional and contemporary tonalities, remarking, "Sometimes this worked well, as in the Crucifixus section, where two high violas entwined beautifully round the voices.