Rachmaninov: Bogorodice Devo (Hail, O Virgin Mother of God / Ave Maria)

In 1997, The Holst Singers and Stephen Layton produced a disc that immediately became a cult classic and a best-seller. ‘Ikon’, a selection of great Russian choral music from the 19th century, dazzled with its grand, opulent beauty. Now the same forces return with Ikon II. Many of the works recorded here are by composers whose names will not be familiar – but the extraordinary quality of the music is unmistakable and immediately enthralling.

'Sacred' brings together works performed by the acclaimed conductor Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers, the outstanding Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the legendary Mormon Tabernacle Choir and world-famous soprano Dawn Upshaw. Featured composers include Durufle, Faure, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff and Berlioz.

It is with a distinctive, fresh sound and high artistic energy that The Australian Voices commission, perform and record the music of Australian composers. Since 1993 the ensemble has championed an astonishing flourishing of new Australian vocal music, having commissioned hundreds of new works. The ensemble tours internationally each year and has been recognised by many international awards, including multiple gold medals at the World Choir Games (2006) and first prizes at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (2001). In 2012 the ensemble gave twenty performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a live in-studio broadcast on BBC3 in London. Recently they have created new works specifically intended for “performance” on YouTube. Gordon Hamilton’s composition Toy Story 3 = Awesome! has been viewed over 100,000 times. Other clips, such as Tra$h Ma$h and We Apologise, have created controversy, forging new directions in choral music. Hamilton has been Artistic Director since 2009 and is considered one of Australia’s most exciting young conductors and composers.

Heavenly voices raised in honour of the Christmas season. Inspirational choral music for Christmas from one of England's finest choirs in a programme chosen from some of the greatest church music of the past. This diverse programme brings together many musical styles and traditions, from the clarity and precision of medieval carols to the emotional intensity of choral music for the Russian Orthodox church. The music varies from quiet, still pieces to huge, exciting crescendos of sound.

This wide-ranging programme offers connections and contrasts in music of devotion and consolation. The settings by life-long friends Holst and Vaughan Williams, whilst very different, are highly affecting. The music of Rachmaninov, whose hymn derives from his 1915 All-Night Vigil, and John Tavener is immersed in the ritual of the Russian Orthodox Church. Marian Prayers come from Pierre Villette and Knut Nystedt. The music that gives its name to the title of the disc is the beautiful ‘conversation’ of Roxanna Panufnik.

The Fairhaven Singers' new disc features a selection of transcendent choral works dedicated to the Virgin Mary, under the direction of Ralph Woodward, and produced by John Rutter. The largely meditative programme of Ave Maria settings spanning four centuries also features Brahms’ radiant Marienlieder and offers a distillation of joy and purity – the perfect tonic. Highlights include the premiere recording of Bob Chilcott's Ave Maria, and diverse choral treasures to suit all tastes, performed with warmth and sparkle.

As exclusive Chandos artists, the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge here presents its second release. The first CD, of choral music by Howells (CHAN10587), was released to rave reviews in March this year. Choir and Organ wrote: ‘There is musicianship here of a rare and moving kind.’ This new release of popular choral classics should meet with a similar reception while at the same time appealing to a wider audience.

Established in the 1670s, the Choir of St John’s has a distinguished tradition of performing religious music. Its main duty is singing the daily services in the College Chapel during the University Term. During the University vacation the Choir carries out engagements in the UK and overseas, as well as undertaking a busy recording schedule. This particular release was recorded in the College Chapel in full surround-sound. The disc not only sounds spectacular, but recreates to an uncanny degree the experience of listening to the Choir perform in the chapel.

The music itself represents a time span of nearly 500 years of choral music. The earliest piece dates from the first half of the sixteenth century, and the newest was composed as recently as 2007. The styles and genres are varied, but there are clear links between the works throughout. For example, several are based on texts from the psalms, and the works by Pärt, Parsons, and Rachmaninoff offer three radically different interpretations of the Ave Maria. Some of the works also add a solo instrument to the familiar mix of voices and organ. But perhaps most importantly, all the pieces recorded here sit comfortably under the heading of ‘Popular Choral Classics’.

Allegri’s Miserere is counted among the great classics of church music. Part of its mystique stems from its origins; for many years the work was performed only in the Sistine Chapel, and as with other works tied to a single place it became an object for pilgrimage. In this case the pilgrims included Mendelssohn, as well as Mozart who famously noted down the work from memory after leaving the Vatican, thereby risking excommunication by the Catholic Church. This new release also features Stanford’s Jubilate, which was written for Trinity College, Cambridge. Intended as part of the service of Morning Prayer, it has long been one of the most popular canticles in the Anglican repertoire. In keeping with the text, Psalm 100, the tone is festive throughout.

The Gloucester Cathedral Choir follow their imaginative and acclaimed first release on AVIE, In The Beginning (AV 2072) with a spirited holiday album of traditional and contemporary carols, including famous arrangements by Sir David Willcocks and Sir Philip Ledger, as well as the newly commissioned title track from Richard Rodney Bennett.

As the successor to the boys and monks of the Benedictine Abbey, The Gloucester Cathedral Choir boasts a tradition tracing back over 900 years. Henry VIII established their current incarnation, along with the Church of England, in 1539. Andrew Nethsingha, the choir’s Music Director at the time of this recording, was a chorister at Exeter Cathedral, where his father, the distinguished Sri Lankan-born English church musician Lucian Nethsingha, was director of music for 26 years. He studied at the Royal College of Music where he was awarded seven prizes and was the youngest cathedral organist in Britain when appointed to Truro Cathedral in 1994. In addition to singing in six services every week, the Gloucester Cathedral Choir is heard annually at the Three Choirs Festival, and regularly at the Cheltenham International Festival and on BBC radio and television broadcasts.