SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖM (b.1942): Lobet den Herrn, Ave Maria, Hear my Prayer, O Lord, Es ist genug, A new song of love, Laudamus Te, Agnus Dei, Singet dem Herrn.

Description: The peculiar beauties of Sandström's unique approach to choral writing are showcased to great advantage in this gorgeous collection of a cappella sacred works spanning a quarter-century of his exceptionally productive career. The composer has a most happy knack for creating an overall impression of readily accessible tonality in keeping with the uplifting nature of the texts, while utilising the widest possible range of vocal styles and innovative effects. That his idiom is rooted in the polyphonic traditions of Renaissance choral singing is demonstrated most clearly by the reimagining of Purcell's incomplete Hear my Prayer, piling layer upon layer of dissonance before finally resolving, but throughout these works, Sandström brings in elements of minimalism-based ostinato, sumptuous chromatic harmony reminiscent of Grieg, Grainger and Delius, and flexible vocal techniques that in another context would not sound out of place in a far more avant garde idiom. Like the splendid and wholly original recreation of The Messiah that we offered in September, these works present a completely satisfying idiom for the expression of profound emotional and spiritual ideas. German-English and English texts. Swedish Radio Choir; Peter Dijkstra. SACD hybrid