Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The composer Paul Edwards provides a useful introduction to this collection of his shorter choral works: "I often think, when buying a CD of the works of composers new to me, that it would be of interest to know something of their favourite composers, and by whom their tastes have been shaped. Insofar as one can have a favourite composer apart from J S Bach (rightly described by Dr Rootham as 'the greatest man who ever lived') I would say that I was a disciple of the school of Delius and Vaughan Williams, with a special admiration for such composers as E J Moeran, Peter Warlock, Patrick Hadley, Constant Lambert, and Percy Whitlock. Perhaps most of all I love the music of John Ireland." To this reviewer's ears, this seems a fair assessment of the voice of the composer who, rightly, emphasises the importance of an appropriate setting for any given text. On this well presented CD we get almost 70 minutes of choral music, including anthems, canticles, hymns, and the Requiem. The music is approachable and melodic and The Chapel Choir Of Selwyn College allow us to hear the compositions rather than drawing attention to the performance. To say that most of the pieces would be within the ability of most parish choirs is in no way intended to diminish the achievement of Selwyn College's choir: they make it sound easy. My one reservation is that the new tunes for popular hymns are not going to replace the old ones in our affections. "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go" is a personal favourite but Edwards' new tune will never replace "St Margaret" in my hymnbook. Still, this is a minor quibble and we commend this pleasant release to all lovers of traditional choral music.

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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