Winchester Cathedral Choir & Andrew Lumsden - Sir John Tavener: Angels (2019) [CD-Rip]

The works on this album, mostly with some orientation toward Christmas, include some well-established favorites by Sir John Tavener in his standard mode of quietly mystical English adaptations of Russian Orthodox devotional moods. Tavener's music has been abundantly recorded in recent years, but this one adds something that hasn't been done so often: the distinctive sound of the English cathedral choir, with boys, men, and in this case girls. Mostly it has been performed by adult choirs. In fact, the Winchester Cathedral Choir has released several albums of Tavener's music, sometimes in combination with that of other composers. Performing it with children subtly alters the structure of the music, adding a texture contrast where there is none with adult choirs. The effect is less meditative, more soberly classical, and it fits with a growing evaluation of Tavener as having a place in the grand English tradition. Sample the title work Angels (1985), sung by the girls and men, for a typical instance, and then turn to the well-known setting of William Blake's The Lamb, sung by all children, for another twist. The selection of pieces is strong, covering a range of Tavener works including his more chromatic later pieces and some big double-choir works. The airy acoustic of Winchester Cathedral is expertly captured by Hyperion's engineers, and all in all, this is a fresh Tavener release that has rightfully notched strong sales. ~ James Manheim