Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

John Rutter is, of course, considered choral music's greatest living composer. He is now at the stage in his career where different record labels are releasing new recordings of old works. This is good for us, the listeners, as we have a choice but it can be off putting when we find what we think is something new is in fact a new version of something old and it can be particularly confusing for the newcomer who has little idea of the merits of these different recordings. So, dear reader, let us try to enlighten you. The three pieces on this budget-priced CD are new recordings of older works. In chronological order we have 'Gloria' (1974), 'Te Deum' (1988) and 'Magnificat' (1990) and all are available on other CDs although, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time these three have been issued together. The Choirs Of St Albans Cathedral give a workmanlike performance, ably aided by Ensemble DeChorum and Tom Winpenny on the organ, and the soprano soloist Elizabeth Cragg is particularly good. I cannot put my hand on my heart and say that any of these three performances are the best I have heard but none are poor enough to be off-putting and the Naxos price ensures excellent value for money. If you are new to John Rutter's choral music this is a good place to start and those who know him only from his contributions to our Christmas festivities will not be surprised by how pleasant his more general choral work can be.

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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