Reviewed by Steven Whitehead There is something particularly English about the choral music of David Bednall. It is rooted in the tradition of Anglican cathedrals and Oxbridge college choirs, the music of Vaughn Williams, Finzi, Howells and Rutter. Indeed, the opening work, "Lux Orta Es Iusto" is a motet in 40 parts that cannot help but remind us of Tallis with its luminous explosion of sound, like the sudden appearance of sunlight from heavy cloud, before an inventive exchange of ideas between each of the eight choirs, and a syncopated coda. This debut recording on its own makes the CD worth investigating but there is more, much more of note and with the exception of three extracts from Bednall's 2013 Christmas Cantata 'Welcome All Wonders' and a setting of Siegfried Sassoon's "Everyone Sang", all tracks are premiere recordings. The programme's theme is an exploration of light and love through choral music. Not all of it is sacred - Shakespeare's "Shall I Compare thee To A Summer's Day" (Sonnet 18) being one example - the quality of both composition and performance makes this well worth a listen. Another piece that caught my ear and which may appeal to other choirs is "Rise Up My Love", written like some other pieces on this disc for a wedding of the composer's friends. It opens with an ecstatic organ introduction played by Stephen Farr, suitable for a bridal entrance, before the choir arrive with the ardent invocation of the work's title. The music subsides into a sensuous setting of "Set Me As A Seal". There are echoes of John Rutter here - no bad thing in this reviewer's opinion as Rutter is reliably tuneful with the happy knack of finding good texts and setting them appropriately. Tim Reader's Epiphoni Consort was established in 2014 to bring together singers who have advanced vocal and choral training but who are following other primary careers. It has since developed an award winning reputation for creative programming with a commitment to the music of living composers. The Consort made its first TV appearance in 2016 in a BBC4 documentary, The Joy of Rachmaninov, and in 2017 featured in the BBC2 documentary Terry Pratchett: Back In Black. We have previously reviewed several collections by David Bednall over the years and welcome this latest one. The Epiphoni Consort are new to us but we hope to hear more of them too in the future.
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