Reviewed by Dave Massey

As angst ridden as only 'classical' church music can be, this Passiontide and Holy Week sequence gives an insight into how musicians across the ages, from Renaissance to the 19th century, have viewed the Easter events and our response to them. I have waxed lyrical on a number of occasions concerning Allegri's Miserere, so I shall not do so again here, other than to say that this recording is a definitive one. The singing on Faure's "Sanctus" is a little rough for my liking, but the music shines through and Elgar's "O Salutaris Hostia" almost had me liking organ accompaniment. What a guy! If anyone was a master of harmony, this dude was, and he was a Brit - something to be proud of in this era of eating humble pie... Speaking of eating humble pie the object of the worship encapsulated on this album did his - and everyone else's share - and the music here really focuses the mind on the appalling nature of our fall and our Lord's sacrifice in restoring us to a place we do not deserve. Mission accomplished. Look elsewhere however for music which expresses the triumph of the Easter events.

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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