Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This recording took me out of my comfort zone - no bad thing - but means that perhaps I am unable to appreciate it as much as it deserves. The Christian community with which I am involved read and sing Old Testament Psalms as a regular part of our worship but not like this. It is easier to let Andrew Nethsingha, Director of Music at St John's, Cambridge explain: "Psalm-singing, one of the most subtle forms of choral singing, is at the heart of the St John's choir's musical identity. The psalms inform everything else we perform - technically, musically, emotionally. In 1977 George Guest made a deeply moving Argo LP 'Psalms of Consolation and Hope', one of my favourite choral albums. All George's successors - Christopher Robinson, David Hill and myself - have sought to continue the distinctive St John's style of psalm-singing. The chemistry which each choir-director has with their singers is unique. I have written extensively about my own thoughts on psalm-singing, and on the beauty of the words and music, in the booklet notes; I hope these notes will enhance the listener's enjoyment and involvement in the album. The Psalms affect listeners in different ways. They can be profound and transformational not only for Christians; some psalms can be entrancing and healing." The collection explores settings of psalms from the 18th century through to the 20th by composers steeped in the English choral tradition with the repertoire being chosen and ordered carefully in terms of contrast and key relationships. It features psalm chants from composers such as Percy Whitlock, Henry Walford Davies and Thomas Attwood, and also features music from a former Director of Music at St John's, Christopher Robinson, with his settings of Psalm 2 ("Why do the heathen so furiously rage") and Psalm 148 ("O Praise the Lord of Heaven"). The non-conformist tradition to which I belong is perhaps too concerned with the tunes sometimes, I regret, at the expense of the words. The Anglican tradition exemplified here puts the words at the heart of the worship - surely no bad thing - and while the music is not always toe-tapping it helps connect the texts with the heart, also no bad thing. The recordings took place between April 2018 and January 2022 and, as is the nature of any college choir, the line-up of choristers changed over time. However, the blend and musicality are unchanged and the beautiful acoustic of St John's Chapel and the skilful production by Chris Hazell and engineering by Simon Eadon make this an ideal reference disc. The comprehensive booklet notes give a much fuller explanation of the theory behind this form of psalm singing and full texts, all from the Book of Common Prayer, are provided. Those with an interest in Anglican choral music will treasure this release and those of us from a different tradition will find it illuminating, possibly to the extent of wanting to try to use this form of singing in our own worship.

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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