Ecce Cor Meum

Ecce Cor Meum is Paul McCartney's fourth full-length classical work, commissioned by Magdalen College, Oxford. The project had a famously long gestation period of eight years, during which McCartney experienced the death of his wife, Linda. This personal tragedy significantly reshaped the work, infusing the later stages of composition with a palpable sense of grief and spiritual searching. Unlike his earlier 'Liverpool Oratorio,' which was more narrative and autobiographical, Ecce Cor Meum is more abstract and liturgical, utilizing Latin and English texts. The recording features the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the boys of King's College Choir, Cambridge. Critically, it was seen as a more mature and technically proficient effort than his previous classical forays, eventually winning Best Album at the 2007 Classical BRIT Awards. It stands as a pivotal document of McCartney's late-career versatility and his ability to translate his melodic gift into a vastly different harmonic language.