Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Gabriel Fauré is best known for his "Requiem", written after the death of his parents in 1885 and 1888. This has been published and recorded in several different editions, making valid comparisons difficult. This re-release is pleasant enough but when we reach the "Pie Jesu" it becomes memorable, as the boy treble is Master Aled Jones. Younger readers may need telling that he was the greatest treble of his generation. Richard Hickox conducts the London Symphony Chorus and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with his usual skill but it is Aled Jones who lifts this recording into the "indispensable" category. Your reviewer was pleasantly surprised at how well Leonard Bernstein's three "Chichester Psalms" complemented the "Requiem". The version here is the one scored for full orchestra. The first performance was given in New York in 1965, followed later that year with a performance as part of the Southern Cathedrals' Festival held at Chichester under the direction of the resident organist John Birch and it is pleasing to note that Birch plays on this recording as well. Even if you have either of these pieces in your collection this would still be a worthwhile addition.

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