Rating: 5/5
Review:
A fabulous disc
I love this disc.
Purely as a matter of personal taste, I haven't always got on well with Westminster's
recordings, generally preferring the smaller ensembles to this choir's larger,
more churchy sound. However, this is
simply stunning.
The music here is truly wonderful. Media Vita, in particular, is one of the true
gems of English Tudor polyphony, and Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria and the Missa
Cantate are both also very fine works.
Westminster Cathedral's choir has been a world-class ensemble for many
years, of course, and for me this music suits them magnificently. There is something about the English
structure and cadences here which they catch perfectly, so the whole thing just
glows with beauty. They manage to
preserve the clarity of individual lines while blending into a truly lovely
whole, and there is s real sense of spirituality and engagement with the text
they are singing. It's an exemplary
performance, I think.
I already own and love the superb recordings of Media Vita
by The Tallis Scholars and Stile Antico.
This is just as good. The
presentation and recorded sound are up to Hyperion's usual excellent standard
and it's a fabulous disc all round. Very
warmly recommended.
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