Three other great recordings

Tenebrae

Tenebrae’s sopranos and altos have a warmth and heft when required, yet their delicately layered entries at points such as ‘And you whose eyes shall behold God’ in the fifth song display a gossamer-like purity. The choir effortlessly negotiates every technical challenge while paying thoughtful attention to the text. Antiphonal sections are a little lacking in drama, but there are many magical moments in this 2011 recording, enhanced by the warm but never overwhelming acoustic of St Alban’s Church, Holborn. (Signum Classics SIGCD267)

Vasari Singers

Under conductor Jeremy Backhouse, the Vasari Singers pack a punch from their opening statement and the impactful crescendo that follows, in a 2005 recording distinguished by its striking dynamic range and satisfying balance between the parts, each really relishing their stand-out phrases. The unanimity of sound between the sopranos and altos makes the entries at ‘Beyond the sphere of time’ in ‘There is an old belief’ particularly effective. There are occasional jarring moments, but

the overall impression is of these experienced singers’ deep love for the music. (Guild GMCD 7132)

Choir of New College, Oxford

Conductor Robert Quinney consulted Parry’s autograph manuscripts in Oxford’s Bodleian Library to produce the new edition of the songs used for this 2018 recording, made in the choir’s own chapel, where 16 boys and 14 men sound like an ensemble twice that size. The original version of ‘There is an old belief’ is an interesting bonus. Careful adherence to Parry’s desired speeds produces performances that seem uncomfortably slow, but the bright treble sound is enjoyably trumpet-like and there is a really strong sense of the ‘cloud of witnesses’ in the fifth song. (Novum NCR1394)

And one to avoid…

I was surprised to be disappointed by this below-par 2019 performance from The Choir of Westminster Abbey under James O’donnell. The treble lines are not as unanimous as in other recordings and their voices sometimes sound strained; the altos can be shrill and the tenors and basses occasionally lumbering. The text is sometimes unclear too. Definitely an off day for this usually impeccable choir.