Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Like him or not, Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) was certainly one of the most influential composers of the 20th century so when we hear that a CD devoted to almost an hour of his sacred choral music has been added to his already extensive discography we know we should pay attention. Stravinsky was raised in an observant home but rebelled and left the faith, returning in 1926 by which time he was living in exile in France. His sacred music is shaped by Russian Orthodoxy, where all singing throughout services is unaccompanied. For a composer already famous - or infamous - for orchestral works such as 'The Firebird' and 'The Rite Of Spring' this must have been a challenge and, frankly, his choral music does not reach the heights of his more famous secular compositions. On this collection we hear the rarely performed full version of Stravinsky's Mass with wind instrument accompaniment provided by soloists from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra along with the even more rarely performed "Cantata" with cathedral choristers rather than an adult choir although the guest soloists, Ruby Hughes (soprano) and Nicholas Mulroy (tenor), are grown up. Also included are Stravinsky's "completions" of three "Cantiones Sacrae" by Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613) which make for an interesting contrast with Stravinsky's own style. Duncan Ferguson has built up an excellent choir at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh but, to my ears, the singers are not quite on top of the music. It is sung correctly but there seems to be something missing. Perhaps it is too much to ask a youthful choir to sing like adults or perhaps the composer's heart and head were pulling him in different directions but the end result is, for me at least, less than satisfying.

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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