Directed by the legendary John Rutter,the 41-strong, angel-voiced Cambridge Singers bring us a 40-part motet by Tallis, "Miserere" by Allegri, "Singet dem Herrn" by Bach, "Fest- und Gedenkspruche" by Brahms, and works by Guerrero, Phillips, Caldara, Scheidt and Mendelssohn. All are sung in the soaring polychoral (multiple choirs) style of the Christian church of the 16th and 17th centuries. There is some accompaniment, Helen Gough on baroque cello, William Hunt on violone and Wayne Marshall on chamber organ, but it is spare, the main focus being on the voices and sounds coming from different points in space, what appears to be an early attempt at stereo or quadrophonic sound without speakers. The extensive liner notes give us the words and much information about the polychoral style and about each composer's work. Beautiful! |