Choral Music Naxos 8.573111

This recording brings together two of today’s finest British organist/composers and includes specially commissioned works. Jeremy Filsell’s music is rooted in a long liturgical tradition and ranges from a poignant Epitaph to a Te Deum which recreates the spirit of William Walton’s glorious piece for the 1953 Coronation. David Briggs’s Pange lingua portrays the wonders of the Holy Communion in music, and his dramatic and grandiose Messe pour Saint-Sulpice also has moments of quiet, emotional profundity. The Vasari Singers’ Great British Anthems (8.572504) has been described as “essential listening” (Gramophone).

Review:
This is a very fine disc indeed and one that I’ve enjoyed greatly. The music of both featured composers is of the highest quality and the performances are surely definitive. The Vasari Singers are on top form, singing with incisiveness and great commitment. There are several opportunities for short solos which are taken by choir members and all acquit themselves very well. I should imagine that all this music presents challenges to the singers but the choir is equal to every demand made by the respective composers. In Jeremy Backhouse they have a conductor who is renowned for his expertise with contemporary choral music. As for the organ parts these sound hugely demanding but we have two players on hand who, without exaggeration, can be said to be among the world’s finest organists: they live up to expectations. The recorded sound is excellent: the organ is superbly reported with the choir balanced expertly against it. Each composer provides good notes about their respective pieces.

At first sight this may seem like a disc with specialist appeal but I hope that won’t be the case. None of this music, with the exception of Jeremy Filsell’s Jubilate, has been recorded before, and at the Naxos price this disc affords an excellent opportunity to sample first rate music which is firmly in the tradition of English church music. It moves that tradition forward in a most stimulating, accessible and inspiring way. I do urge you to try it: I think you’ll be excited by what you hear.
John Quinn, MusicWeb International