Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The great pianist Glenn Gould once said that "the most fascinatingly beautiful little piece in all of music is a hymn by Orlando Gibbons, by the name 'Thus Angels Sang'." It is an interesting position and one wonders what Gould would have made of this recording that features the complete collection of Gibbons' hymns and songs that made the first English hymnbook. However, this is more than a museum piece as Antony Pitts, the director and organist of Tonus Peregrinus, and Alexander L'Estrange, the counter-tenor and double-bassist, have used Gibbons' 1623 original as a resource and trigger. The songs are arranged into eight sequences that follow the Church's year from the "Songs Of Joy" at Advent to the "Songs Of Hope" at All Saints' Day when we consider the life to come. The collection is interleaved with original compositions from the Pitts family as well as new settings of old favourites such as "There Is A Green Hill Far Away" in the style of Gibbons. The singing is first class throughout and the arrangements are beautifully done. This budget-priced disc must be of interest to any listener who enjoys choral singing either ancient or post-modern.

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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