Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

We like Bob Chilcott in our choir: his arrangements always stretch us to the limit of our collective comfort zone but the effort is always worthwhile. On this album BC features as composer rather than arranger and very good he is at it too, ably supported with contributions from Sir James MacMillan, Celia McDowall and Francis Pott with the whole collection performed by the NFM Choir and instrumentalists of the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic conducted by Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny who between them give a most accomplished performance. Chilcott provides 47 minutes of the disc's hour so it is natural that it is his name at the top of the bill and while the other three composers all make valuable contributions it will be Chilcott's name that sells copies, although MacMillan completists may find his charming "A Child's Prayer" worth their attention. The album's theme is darkness to light and the opening triptych points the way. Here Chilcott sets three well-known Latin hymns, "Te Lucis Ante Terminum" ("Before The End Of The Day"), "Christ, Qui, Splendor Et Dies" ("Christ, Brightness Of The Day") and "O Nata Lux De Lumine" ("O Light Born Of The Light"). The words and music sit together very well and the tune stayed with me long after I finished listening. Next Chilcott moves to English texts with extracts from Wilfred Owen's 'War Poems'. Here Chilcott bravely follows in the steps of Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem' that also uses words from Owen. Chilcott is not writing a requiem and while it is interesting to compare the two compositions, they are sufficiently different to make the comparison invidious, to coin a phrase. In other words, we are allowed to enjoy both and if I can dare make a prediction, I think both will continue to be sung for so long as wars are fought. Celia McDowall's "Standing A I Do Before God" fits the programme perfectly, being "A reflection on the execution of Edith Cavell, October 12, 1915" a story well worth telling and here McDowall does it beautifully. Francis Pott takes words from a different war poet, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, with a "Lament" which sits comfortably within the programme but is, to my ears at least, the least memorable of what is on offer although not helped by the running order as immediately after it comes James MacMillan's sublime "A Child's Prayer" using a traditional text remembered from the composer's own childhood before Chilcott closes with his splendid "Sing the Colour of Peace". While the texts look back, particularly to the "war to end all wars" at the start of the last century, the music remains optimistic with the assurance that darkness will never overcome light. Listeners who enjoy contemporary choral music will appreciate this collection and if the genre is new to you this would make an excellent introduction.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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