Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

With the title 'Light Divine' and a list of composers including Handel and Albinoni I expected more Christian content than is actually delivered and while six of the 14 tracks feature the outstanding treble Aksel Rykkvin one does not need to be a great mathematician to work out that eight do not. Having made my grumpy comments I must follow up with the statement that this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection and those that appreciate Baroque music will be thrilled by what is on offer. The unique selling point is Norwegian treble Aksel Rykkvin (born 2003) who was quite probably the finest of his generation. The past tense is necessary as his voice changed late in 2017 and he is now training as a baritone but this farewell performance is a splendid showcase for his talent and listeners that value a good treble voice will not want to miss this. The MIN Ensemble under trumpeter Mark Bennett and the ensemble director Lazar Miletic play in period style although with a mix of early and modern instruments so purists may get a bit sniffy. However, for the general listener like what I am, this was enjoyable throughout and it was actually quite good fun trying to work out which instruments are Baroque and which modern. But other than Master Rykkvin's voice the main attraction has to be the selection of music from Handel's "Concerto in F" (part of his "Water Music") to Jean-Phillippe Rameau's "Chaconne" from his 'Les Indes Galantes' this is a grand tour of European Baroque. In terms of content Rameau beats Handel seven pieces to five with one each from Tomaso Albinoni and Philipp Jakob Rittler. Collectors of Baroque music will want to add this and general listeners who want to explore off the mainstream will surely find this an enjoyable introduction.

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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