Two of the finest choirs in northern Europe are heard on this new recording celebrating the distinctive but entirely natural voice of Thomas Jennefelt. ‘We...

Two of the finest choirs in northern Europe are heard on this new recording celebrating the distinctive but entirely natural voice of Thomas Jennefelt. ‘We need the night, it is a sanctuary’, writes Jennefelt. ‘At night…things we are saying in daylight are singing in us.’ Nocturnal Singing (2010) was commissioned by the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, of which Jennefelt was once a member, and dedicated to its erstwhile founder. It is a virile yet melancholy statement of belief in the power of the collective human voice, with no recourse to words, which is full of Jennefelt’s trademark clarity and his alluring combination of musical intimacy and sweep. This meticulous performance was made by another choir founded by Ericson, the Swedish Radio Choir, which is joined by its sister symphony orchestra under one of the most sought-after conductors of our time, Andrew Manze. Some of the sensuality that finds its way into Nocturnal Singing is heard in the more obviously theatrical Four Opera Choruses, written in 2016 for ‘as yet unwritten operas.’ We hear yet more strong contrasts and clear narratives, but always music that is born of the voice despite its complexity and theoretical rigor. This performance from the Eric Ericsson Chamber Choir and Royal Swedish Navy Band under Fredrik Malmberg unleashes all the inherent drama in Jennefelt’s scores.