Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

In barely a decade of existence, Merton College's choral foundation has ambitiously redefined the musical landscape of Oxford through its twin commitment to excellence and innovation. Now, focusing entirely on American music of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, this latest in a series of thematically conceived recordings gives us a striking double portrait of two composers who have written or arranged works especially for the choir. David Lang's austere choral post-minimalism, informed by a background of Jewish liturgy and thought, provides a striking foil to Nico Muhly's more richly referential music with its roots in the Anglican tradition with which Muhly became familiar as a chorister in Rhode Island. Two solo organ works by Muhly, and a transcription from his mentor Philip Glass's opera 'Satyagraha', widen the expressive gamut still further - from whimsical allusiveness to meditative calm - and are set in context alongside the more stylistically eclectic yet no less powerfully communicative sound-worlds of Libby Larsen and Abbie Betinis. Two final choral items draw on older North American traditions of the spiritual found within the Baptist hymnal in a moving demonstration of the New World's ability to honour its past while gazing firmly ahead. These are an arrangement of "Deep River" by Gerre Hancock and "The Road Home" by Stephen Paulus. While the cliché says to leave the best to last, these two spirituals, enjoyable though they are, are probably more memorable because I knew them beforehand, although not, of course, in these arrangements. Four of the other pieces, two by Muhly and two by Lang, including the title track, are premiere recordings and so new to us all. I enjoyed all the content on this album. The singing is consistently outstanding and the audio quality, courtesy of producer/egineer Paul Baxter, matches the quality of the performance. However, looking back after my third playing of the disc, it is the Glass organ adaptation, expertly played by Benjamin Nicholas, that stands out for me. Perverse, I know, but I confess to having a soft spot for Philip Glass and this did not disappoint - but then neither did any of the choral music and, all things considered, this is another splendid album from the Choir of Merton College.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.