Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Decca/Classic FM are releasing the album 'Jubilate: 500 Years Of Cathedral Music' on which St Paul's Cathedral Choir are joined by 50 young choristers from cathedrals across the United Kingdom and former choirboy Aled Jones. The project is directed by Andrew Carwood and will raise money for the Diamond Fund For Choristers which aims to help young choral singers and secure the future of cathedral music. The appeal is eloquently endorsed by former St Mary's, Edinburgh chorister Alexander Armstrong in an interesting essay in the CD booklet. The music selected is unashamedly popular, covering 500 years in 70 minutes from Thomas Tallis (c 1505-1585) to Howard Goodall (born 1958). While everything on the album is worth hearing the standout tracks are the four on which St Paul's Cathedral Choir is augmented by choristers from, alphabetically speaking, Aberdeen to York, including Rochester's Edward Hyde, chorister of the year. The four are Handel's "Zadok The Priest", Hubert Parry's "I Was Glad", and two takes on John Rutter's "A Gaelic Blessing", one being a special arrangement by the composer featuring the baritone Aled Jones. Other standouts include St Paul's 2016 Head Chorister Nathaniel Morley singing Mendelssohn's "O For The Wings Of A Dove", a work that is reputed to have sold over five million copies in a recording by chorister Ernest Lough in the early 20th century, and a personal favourite, Howard Goodall's setting of "The Lord Is My Shepherd". You have heard the first verse as the theme tune for "The Vicar Of Dibley" but if you have never listened to it all the way through it is well worth hearing. Listeners who already have a selection of traditional choral music in their collection will not find much that is new to them on this release although they will recognise that these are very good versions and all well recorded in the atmospheric acoustic of St Paul's. However those who have yet to start exploring the remarkable heritage of cathedral choral singing will find this an excellent place to start.

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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