Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This is the first time that I have noticed James Whitbourn's name although I have heard his music before as he wrote the theme music for the BBC series Son Of God which was later adapted as a Mass for saxophone, choir and organ, but neither are included on this disc. However several other BBC commissions are here: "Alleluia, Jubilate" was commissioned by the Choir Schools' Association to be sung in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral in 2008 by the largest gathering of cathedral choristers since the 1953 Coronation and a version of the refrain was used in a television series about English churches. "A Prayer Of Desmond Tutu" was commissioned in 2003 and this recording features Archbishop Tutu himself as reader. "Eternal Rest" was originally an orchestral piece but a text from the Requiem Mass was adapted for a choral arrangement for the BBC coverage of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002. All these choral pieces are of interest and all are given careful performances by the Oxford chamber choir Commotio. Of even greater interest is the title piece, "Luminosity", an unusual choral work composed for dance. The libretto gathers together a collection of simple, profound and beautiful truths from luminaries down the ages, all exploring the timeless nature of creative love. Thus we hear from John's Gospel, Ryonen (a nineteenth century Zen Buddhist nun), Isaac of Nineveh (a sixth century Jewish sage), Julian of Norwich (a fourteenth century mystic), Teresa of Avila (from sixteenth century Spain), and Augustine (bishop of Hippo who died in 430). The end result is radiant and, like light itself, difficult to describe although once you have experienced it, unforgettable. For an easy comparison I would use Sir John Tavener. Like Tavener, Whitbourn's work is deceptively simple, uses influences from outside the usual Western canon, and reflects the glory of the Light of the world.