Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This pleasant new release continues the successful 'A Year' series by taking it across the Atlantic to Saint Peter's Episcopal Church in Saint Louis, Missouri. The adult choir featured on this disc sings English cathedral-style services weekly and the church's annual organ concert series features an impressive Mander instrument and attracts some big name players. However it is the choir that concerns us here, although the Grand Organ is played on five tracks when Director William Aitken takes the controls and Brian Reeves deputises as conductor. As with the others in the series, this CD charts the journey through the church year from Advent to Pentecost with music that is popular in the featured church or has a local connection or, indeed, both. The result is a good mix of old favourites and new discoveries, all sung competently enough though the singing is good but not outstanding so that the collection stands or falls on the content. Happily that is strong enough to stand scrutiny. The opening Advent song is "All Glorious God" by Ned Rorem and for Pentecost we have "Laudate Dominum" by Joseph Goodman. The furthest back in time we travel, at least when speaking of music, is Tomas Luis de Victoria's "Vere Languores Nostros" for Good Friday and there is a selection of contemporary American works to bring us up to date. These include Leo Sowerby's "Eternal Light" for Epiphany, and for Lent Louie White's most interesting "Saint Theresa's Bookmark", along with William Aitken's "Here, O My Lord". As a bonus the disc concludes with a sequence of pieces for Evening: "When Rooks Fly Homeward" by Arthur Baynon and another by Aitken, "Te Lucis Ante Terminum". However the highlight is the "Evening Canticle in D Minor" written for the choir by British composer Sasha Johnson Manning which remains long in the memory.

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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