AGNUS DEI - The Choir of New College, Oxford; Edward Higginbotham (2 LPS)

This richly varied collection of meditative sacred music takes it's name, Agnus Dei, from the opening item, a setting for voices of Samuel Barber's celebrated and deeply expressive Adagio for Strings. The hauntingly melodic choral masterpieces that fill these two vinyls span five centuries and are the work of such composers as Bach, Mozart, Allegri, Albinoni, Fauré, Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Elgar and, from nearer our own time, John Tavener and Henryk Górecki. They are performed by the choir of New College Oxford, an exemplar of Britain's great choral tradition.

Barber: Agnus Dei

Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11

Palestrina: Kyrie (from Missa Papae Marcelli)

Mozart: Ave verum corpus, K618

Brahms: Geistliches Lied, Op. 30

Bach, J S: Jesu, bleibet meine Freude (from Cantata BWV147 'Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben')

Rachmaninov: Vespers, Op. 37: Bogoroditse Devo (Rejoice, O Virgin)

Elgar: Lux aeterna

Gorecki: Totus Tuus, Op. 60

Tavener: The Lamb

Fauré: Requiem: In Paradisum

Albinoni: Adagio for Strings and Organ in G minor

Mendelssohn: Hear My Prayer

Byrd: Ave verum Corpus

Lotti: Crucifixus in 8 parts

Allegri: Miserere mei, Deus

Monteverdi: Beatus vir (from Selva Morale e Spirituali)

Fauré: Requiem: Pie Jesu