Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

The music of Taize has become very popular over the last few years, perhaps in no small measure to its simplicity and the beauty of the words used. St. Thomas Music Group is a 35 voice choir with various accompanying musicians on strings and woodwinds, and they keep the beauty of the words whilst adding vocal and instrumental interludes and variations to the melodies. This means that there's a certain amount of longevity to the proceedings, and the 12 pieces on the CD total over 68 minutes, which is going some, when most of the pieces are only a few lines long. However Director Margaret Rizza keeps a tight grip, which means faultless ensemble from both choir and musicians, and whilst some Taize fans might balk at all the layers that have been added, students of choral music will find much to enjoy. Ordinary uneducated (musically , that is) folks like me will close their eyes and allow these pieces to wash over them, ministering deep down into their souls. Lovely stuff.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.