Schubert: Psalm 23 'Gott ist mein Hirt', D706 (The Lord is my Shepherd)

Two distinguished soloists – soprano Suzanne Danco and tenor Robert Tear – contribute to this disc of Schubert songs. Both of the composer’s ‘obbligato’ songs (Der Hirt auf dem Felsen and Auf dem Strom) are included, as are five of Schubert’s most popular Lieder in recordings by Danco previously unreleased on CD. But at the centre of this recital is a selection of Schubert’s Partsongs. Their origins lie in the vital demand for this kind of music in the context of the social life of Vienna during the composer’s lifetime. The male-voice quartet was a staple feature in the city’s concert halls, but even more so in the homes of the cultured middle-classes. Much of Schubert’s writing for this medium is in an ‘unbuttoned’ mood, providing material for friendly gatherings. Even so, we find among these partsongs for men’s or mixed voices, many which carry the unmistakable stamp of his genius – the gorgeous Ständchen, or the tranquil, other-worldly Nachthelle.

This new album recollects and celebrates some of the choral music heard on royal occasions during the lifetime of HM Elizabeth II. The music chosen reflects the personal choices and commission by the Royal Family for weddings, funerals, and anniversaries.

Featuring John Rutter’s celebratory royal wedding anthem This is the day, written for the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011. Newly orchestrated exclusively for this recording, it reminds us of the event that captivated the attention of the nation last year. The CD also includes a new arrangement for unaccompanied choir of the Londonderry Air to the text I would be true, and an orchestration of Schubert’s beautiful Psalm 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd by John Rutter for this recording.

This 2-CD set contains an extremely wide range of music for boys' choirs, from the early polyphony of Allegri's Miserere to the present-day popular songs of Prince and Enya. Also included are some interesting works by some great 20th-century composers such as Copland, Britten and Ned Rorem.

The featured choirs are some of the world's most notable boys' choirs, from the Vienna Boys' Choir and the American Boychoir to, perhaps the best-known of them all, the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. The most recent of the choirs here is Libera, formed by their conductor, Robert Prizeman, from school boys from around south London.

So, for those who already find the freshness and youthfulness of boys' voices uniquely appealing here is the perfect compilation. For those who have yet to make the discovery this set should prove a delightful musical journey.

Having focused on music from their home country before, the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir here present a German programme, featuring two of the most influential composers in 19th-century choral music: Johannes Brahms and Franz Schubert.

It includes both sacred and secular music, scored for male, female and mixed choir a cappella and accompanied, starting with a selection from Brahms’s deservedly popular Zigeunerlieder for mixed choir and piano. A contrast to these settings of Hungarian folk songs is provided by the autumnal Five Songs for mixed choir a cappella – a collection of poems dealing with the transience of youth, love and life. The motet Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen, shows Bach’s influence on the composer.

Schubert is represented with a setting of Psalm 23 for women’s choir and piano and Der Gesang der Geister über den Wassern.

The male choral ensemble Camerata Musica Limburg was founded in 1999. The ensemble has devoted itself to presenting to the public outstanding performances of unknown male choir repertoire.