Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This is an ambitious collection in which medieval works illuminate contemporary settings by some of our finest living composers. Many of the words are in Latin or Old English so it helps to have the CD booklet open for at least the first listen. But will there be a second? One hopes so for several reasons. The singing is excellent with the Choir of Gonville & Caius College showing that it is the equal of any in Oxbridge. The combination of ancient and modern is intriguing, taking us back as far as the 12th century with the anonymous "Verbum Patris Umanatur". We also hear some identifiable composers from long ago, such as John Dunstaple (c 1390-1453) with "Quam Pulchra Es", and John Redford (died in 1547) with "Tui Sunt Caeli". The modern composers include William Sweeney (born in 1950) with a beautiful "The Innumerable Christ", and Diana Burrell (born 1948) who provides the rousing opener "Creator Of The Stars Of Night". I doubt if any of the 20 pieces on this CD will be sung by congregations at midnight mass but I hope that enterprising choir directors may hear something that they can use with their choir. The Choir of Gonville & Caius is splendid so it is a good level to aim at and the acoustic at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast allows us to hear every detail. Those who enjoy exploring back in time and those who like the challenges of contemporary choral singing will both find much to appreciate on this excellent collection.

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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