Canadian-Finnish composer Matthew Whittall's music fuses diverse influences - Old and New World, Western and non-Western, sacred and secular, classical, folk and popular - into a single, rich and varied expressive language. For The World Tree, a work for a cappella choir, Whittall collaborated with Robert Macfarlane, an author internationally renowned for his writing on nature, people and place. The creative impulse behind the work was the illegal felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in northern England in 2023. The result is an hour-long piece in ten movements exploring humanity's relationship with nature. The title refers to Norse mythology, in which the tree Yggdrasil is seen as connecting the visible world to both heaven and the underworld. As well as being a requiem for the Sycamore Gap tree, the work expresses the hope that a forest will be planted in it's place. The World Tree is performed by the Helsinki Chamber Choir under it's artistic director, Nils Schweckendiek - a collaboration that has produced numerous critically acclaimed recordings for BIS, notably the album Reconnaissance (BIS-2662), devoted to works by Kaija Saariaho, which won a Grammy Award in 2024.

The Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale's Promised Land, led by Artistic Director Christopher Gabbitas, surveys two and a half centuries of American choral music, from African American spirituals and Shaker hymns to works by Eric Whitacre, Caroline Shaw, and Frank Ticheli. Arrangements by Alice Parker, Shawn Kirchner, Moses Hogan and others sit alongside original compositions, unified by themes of freedom, longing, and collective resilience. Voices long overlooked by history, among them Shaker eldress Hannah Cohoon and nineteenth-century songwriter Matilda Durham, are restored to the concert repertoire in this rich and purposefully programmed celebration of America's choral heritage in it's 250th anniversary year.

Palestrina's Song of Songs is one of the most beautiful and intimate collections of Renaissance sacred music and this album brings together all 29 settings performed by The Sixteen in one place. The cycle shows Palestrina at his most expressive and human, while still maintaining the balance, purity and clarity of text that he is famous for. Compared to some of his more formal liturgical works, Palestrina's Song of Songs have a more sensual and lyrical feel, reflecting the poetic and romantic nature of the text. Unusually for sacred music the Song of Songs are deeply romantic and sensual, yet Palestrina treats them with spiritual elegance, conveying the emotion through subtle harmonic shifts and melodic shaping.

The King's Singers: Live at Christmas captures the celebrated vocal sextet in a live performance recorded at Temple Church, London, on 16 January 2026. Spanning nine centuries of music, the programme moves from medieval plainchant and O Antiphons through Renaissance polyphony to beloved modern carols and seasonal pop, including world premiere recordings of newly commissioned arrangements. Throughout the concert, the singers perform from several different areas of the church, creating varied acoustic effects. Contributions from both longstanding collaborators and the singers themselves reflect the group's ongoing commitment to expanding the choral repertoire.

Many composers who wrote primarily for the English cathedral tradition have not had the recognition they deserve outside that cloistered world. Tony Hewitt-Jones (1926-89) is one such. Although the choral and organ works heard on this album naturally respond to the requirements of the performers for whom he was writing, they have a freshness, energy and individuality that transcend their origin, their sound-world overlapping with that of some of his close contemporaries, like John Gardner, Kenneth Leighton and William Mathias.

The church music Franz Liszt composed in his later years was always innovative, radical, and thoroughly idiosyncratic, yet was frequently and unjustly overlooked in the repertoire. Now, the Bavarian Radio Chorus, conducted by Peter Dijkstra, has taken on the cycle VIA CRUCIS. It was never performed during Liszt's lifetime; the composer worked on it in the autumn of 1878 as a guest of Cardinal zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst at the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, not far from Rome. The new CD from BR-KLASSIK presents a live recording of an extraordinary concert from April 2025 at Munich's Prinzregententheater. Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, usually comprising fourteen stations of the Passion of Christ-from conviction to death to deposition to burial-has over the centuries been the subject of prayer at the traditional sites in Jerusalem, on pilgrimages, in Catholic churches worldwide, at roadside shrines, in outdoor chapels, and on Calvaries. In composing his version, Franz Liszt mainly had the Good Friday procession in the Roman Colosseum in mind, 'in that place whose ground is steeped in the blood of the martyrs.' He wrote his 14 Stations of the Cross for solo voices, choir, and organ (originally piano), yet was much taken with the idea of carrying a harmonium into the ruins of the Colosseum for his musical devotions to be sung there too: 'I would be happy if those sounds could be heard there that only faintly reflect the inner emotion that overcame me when, on my knees with the devout procession, I more than once repeated the Latin words.' It remained a mere vision, however: his late work VIA CRUCIS was neither rehearsed nor published, and met with firm rejection from the purists of the ultra-conservative Cecilian movement. It was not until fifty years later, on Good Friday 1929, that the work was finally premiered in Budapest.

On 25 September 2026, Divine Art is proud to present Eduard Tubin's powerful Requiem for Fallen Soldiers and other major choral works by the composer, performed by the Estonian National Male Choir, conductor Mikk Üleoja. The soloists are Iris Oja (mezzo-soprano), Indrek Vau (trumpet), Madis Metsamart and Anto Õnnis (percussion), and Piret Aidulo (organ). The album is released to tie in with the sixth annual Tubin Festival from 28 September to 4 October 2026 in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia. Artistic Director of the Festival Mihhail Gerts has written an excellent article about these choral works for the booklet notes. Eduard Tubin (1905-1982) is recognized as one of Estonia's greatest composers. He had to flee the country during World War II and spent his later decades in Sweden, but he drew strength from his national heritage and often incorporated Estonian folk music into his works. He was a devoted choral conductor throughout his entire creative career, and men's choir music held a particularly special place in his heart. The album includes all his choral songs written during his homeland period, some from the early years of his exile to Sweden, and two major works influenced by the tragedies of World War II: 'Reekviem langenud sõduritele' (Requiem for Fallen Soldiers) and 'Taganejate sõdurite laul' (Song of the Retreating Soldiers). He composed all of his choral songs from his homeland period for the men's choir of the Tartu Men's Singing Society and remained associated with the group until his escape from Estonia in 1944. The songs include 'Karjase laul' (The Shepherd's Song), written to a folk text, as well as 'Igatsus' (Longing), 'Randaja õhtulaul' (The Wanderer's Evening Song), and 'Noore kotka laul' (Song of the Young Eagle), all set in the 1930s to texts by one of the composer's favourite poets, Ernst Enno. His rich musical landscapes often depict memories of his youth as a shepherd. Mihhail Gerts says, 'These miniatures, characterized by a wide dynamic range and a wealth of tonal colors, transport the listener to the meadows along the shores of Lake Peipus near the composer's birthplace, where the young music enthusiast spent his summer months.'

Marking Finzi's 125th birthday, tenor Nick Pritchard and pianist Ian Tindale present all three of the composer's Hardy song cycles alongside five world-premiere recordings of early unpublished songs, sourced from manuscripts held at the Bodleian Library. Till Earth Outwears, A Young Man's Exhortation, and Oh Fair to See together span Finzi's career from teenage sketches to his final completed song, setting texts by Hardy, Ivor Gurney, Edmund Blunden, Christina Rossetti, and Chaucer. Over 70 minutes of music, this is the only recording to bring all three cycles together with the addition of previously unheard works.

Thierry Lancino' vast Requiem is a challenging and eloquent contemplation on human mortality which the composer describes as 'both an epic fresco and sacred ceremony'. in a paradox which brings the Christian into dialogue with the Pagan, Lancino presents.

This recording of choral works showcase a group of composers who are or were once faculty members of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, CUNY. The widely differing languages and poetic aesthetics set by these composers represent the concept of “Songs of Peace and Praise,” from symbolic, descriptive pieces such as Bright Sheng’s “Two Folk Songs from Qinghai” to tender and moving interpretations of traditional texts such as Allen Brings’ “In paradisum.” The voices of The New York Virtuoso Singers and Queens College combine to express the universal nature of shared experience.

This is another collection of American classics that deserves the highest praise. With exemplary playing, singing and an acoustic to match this is plainly indispensable.

Thankfully this isn’t the umpteenth recording of Appalachian Spring but a collection of lesser-known Copland. As always this music is quintessentially American, the suite from his opera The Tender Land, the bluesy piano concerto and the Old American Songs, the latter in choral arrangements. Appropriately enough the orchestra is the Illinois-based Elgin Symphony, which has embarked on an ambitious project called In Search of Our American Voice. Helping them in this endeavour are the St. Charles Singers, a multi-talented chamber choir founded in 1984.

Speaking of voices, Copland has a unique, instantly recognisable ‘voice’ of his own and that is clear from the first bars of The Tender Land suite. In his illuminating liner-notes Joseph Horowitz reminds us that although this has a Depression-era rural setting one could argue that, in part at least, it’s also Copland’s response to the McCarthyist witch hunt of the 1950s.

Interestingly the suite, arranged after the opera’s premiere in 1954, starts with the introduction to Act 3 and the love duet between the farm girl Laurie Moss and her drifter beau, Martin. The second movement is based on the party in Act II and the final movement comes from the quintet,’ ‘The Promise of Living’, at the end of Act I.

Whatever Copland’s intentions the music is not far removed from the Pennsylvanian hills of Appalachia, with its open, unpretentious scoring. The usual epithets ‘folksy’ and ‘homespun’ apply but there is also a degree of disquiet reflected in the brass at the start of this movement. The ensuing harp melodies are most affecting in their simplicity and directness, Robert Hanson securing warm, idiomatic playing from his orchestra.

The recording is clear and detailed, notably in the vigorous party music, and there’s no sign of strain or grain in the climaxes. Indeed, it’s an almost perfect acoustic for such a lucid score, the surging music of the last movement lovingly shaped and projected. This is vintage Copland and hearing this music may spur you to try the opera itself.

Horowitz makes the point that Copland’s piano concerto was somewhat eclipsed by Gershwin’s much better known effort, written the year before. It doesn’t have the latter’s Broadway-inspired razzamatazz but what it does have is a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan feel to it. The insouciant, bluesy first movement – introduced with the usual fanfare – has the pianist doodling quietly at the keyboard. Benjamin Pasternack captures the languor of this movement very well indeed, the piano ideally placed and faithfully recorded. Copland’s detailed scoring is wonderfully realised too, the more expansive moments thrillingly intense but never overheated.

The doodler is back in the second movement, his random notes followed by raucous music that has a real swing to it. The drums and percussion are certainly reminiscent of Gershwin but there is a fresh, individual quality to this concerto. Pasternack is suitably foot-stompin’ in those repeated jazzy phrases and the Elgin players give him wonderful support throughout. But it’s the final minute or so that’s the real tour de force, with the splendid percussion chasing the pianist all the way to the finish line.

This is exhilarating stuff and quite possibly the most enjoyable item on the disc – go on, give it another whirl – so the choral arrangements of the Old American Songs needs to be pretty special to top that. Most listeners probably know these pieces in their original scoring for voice and piano; if that’s the version you want do try Willard White on Chandos CHAN 8960.

Alas, first impressions of the choral arrangements aren’t very encouraging, baritone Nathaniel Stampley’s rather wide vibrato spoiling ‘The Boatmen’s Dance’. The St. Charles singers are another matter entirely; they are clear and nimble and, to be fair, Stampley does improve in ‘The Dodger’. Those who have heard Willard White in this repertoire will know just how much character and personality he brings to bear in these songs. Well worth seeking out.

The Elgin Symphony is never less than excellent and the chorus sing eloquently in the ballad ‘Long Time Ago’. Diction could be clearer but with such heartfelt singing it seems churlish to complain. And then there’s ‘Simple Gifts’, the Shaker hymn we know from Appalachian Spring, essayed here with a wonderful sense of innocence and optimism. They even manage the farmyard onomatopoeia of ’I Bought Me a Cat’ which, if you don’t mind this kind of silliness, will probably put a smile on your face.

Really it’s the chorus that makes these arrangements stand out; their bright, focused sound is invariably pleasing, even if the music doesn’t always sound like Copland. They are also suitably impassioned – febrile, even – in the Revivalist hymn ‘Zion’s Walls’. Then Stampley and tenor Jeffrey Hunt join them for a spirited rendition of ’The Golden Willow Tree’. Both soloists acquit themselves well here and for once the quirky orchestration actually sounds like authentic Copland.

Of the two remaining songs the hymn tune ‘At The River’ could have been penned by Charles Ives, such is its mix of devotional text and strange harmonies. Hanson and his band bring this music to a stirring close before launching into the utterly delightful ‘Ching-a-ring Chaw’. If you haven’t smiled so far then this will surely do the trick, the singing and playing pin-sharp and full of fun. An upbeat finale to an enchanting disc.

Minor caveats about the baritone aside this is another collection of American classics that deserves the highest praise. With exemplary playing, singing and an acoustic to match this is plainly indispensable. And the song texts are included as well, which is a welcome bonus. Buy it and enjoy.

-- Dan Morgan, MusicWeb International

2019 release. The exciting, genre-defying American composer Gregory Hutter wrote this sequence of choral music between 2009 and 2014- his intention being economic, direct, and tuneful music. The settings range from the English Renaissance to American poems of the early 20th century; from Shakespeare to Carl Sandburg and Sara Teasdale. Hutter approaches the texts with lyricism and fluidity, attentive to the poetrys moments of melancholy, beauty or bucolic energy. In harmonically rich settings he draws on polyphony, chromaticism and lullaby alike to communicate and bring the listener closer to the core of the texts.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Polychoral music is so synonymous with 16th century Venice that it is easy to forget that the longest flourishing of this style- possibly even its invention- took place in Germany. Whether or not it was in Munich with the works of Orlande de Lassus that the Gabrielis first encountered its effects, polychoral music came to define German textures and techniques for over a century. Both apprentices and rivals to their Italian counterparts, composers such as Hieronymus Praetorius, Schutz, Hassler and Scheidt, as well as Austria’s Biber, fostered a tradition whose influence would extend all the way to the motets of Bach. This performance places a giant of Baroque choral music, Biber’s Missa Salisburgensis, alongside the Venetian choral works of Monteverdi from which it takes its inspiration. The combination is a heady one, a triumphal musical celebration uniquely appropriate to mark the 200th anniversary year of Salzburg’s affiliation with Austria.