Baltic Voices 1

1	Psalms of David (Taaveti
2	Psalms of David (Taaveti
3	Psalms of David (Taaveti
4	Psalms of David (Taaveti
5	Hear my prayer, O Lord, f
6	Lorca Suite, for mixed or
7	Lorca Suite, for mixed or
8	Lorca Suite, for mixed or
9	Lorca Suite, for mixed or
10	Latvian Bourdon Songs, fo
11	Latvian Bourdon Songs, fo
12	Latvian Bourdon Songs, fo
13	Latvian Bourdon Songs, fo
14	Latvian Bourdon Songs, fo
15	Latvian Bourdon Songs, fo
16	Es ist genug (It is enoug
17	... which was the son of.
18	Dona nobis pacem, for mix
Baltic Voices 1
1.	Psalms of David (Taaveti laulud), for chorus 10:50
	Composed by Cyrillus Kreek
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Mikk Üleoja
2.	Hear my prayer, O Lord, for chorus (after Henry Purcell) 6:30
	Composed by Sven-David Sandström
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Mikk Üleoja
3.	Lorca Suite, for mixed or children's choir 6:31
	Composed by Einojuhani Rautavaara
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Mikk Üleoja
4.	Latvian Bourdon Songs, for chorus 17:05
	Composed by Veljo Tormis
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Mikk Üleoja
5.	Es ist genug (It is enough), for chorus 10:36
	Composed by Sven-David Sandström
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Mikk Üleoja
6.	... which was the son of..., for chorus 7:37
	Composed by Arvo Pärt
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Mikk Üleoja
7.	Dona nobis pacem, for mixed chorus & strings 15:06
	Composed by Peteris Vasks
	Performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Mikk Üleoja

Barnes & Noble

Formed in 1981 by Tonu Kaljuste, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir has quickly become one of the most sought-after choral ensembles in the world, famous for its virtuosity and intensity of tone. In 2002, Kaljuste ceded direction of the EPCC to Paul Hillier, and with this disc, Hillier begins a three-year voyage to explore the music of Baltic composers. As Hillier points out in the booklet notes, the Baltic nations have distinct cultures, yet they share certain affinities -- and it is these similarities that come to the fore in this program of 20th-century works. Much of the music here has a folk flavor, most notably Veljo Tormis's Latvian Bourdon Songs. But even Arvo Pärt's . . . which was the son of . . . has a singsong quality that may surprise some of the composer's fans. Yet there is variety here, too. Einojuhani Rautavaara's Lorca Suite employs some contemporary vocal techniques, and Sven-David Sandstrøm's Hear My Prayer, O Lord is a dramatic reworking of Purcell's famous anthem. All but one of the works is performed a cappella; Peteris Vasks' Dona nobis pacem employs string orchestra, and its Pärt-style modal harmonies make it sound more like that composer than Pärt's own work on this album! All in all, then, this first volume of Baltic Voices is thought provoking and ear opening. Expertly sung, beautifully recorded, and well annotated with texts and translations, it is very strongly recommended. Andrew Farach-Colton

Gramophone

An attractive, skillfully sung programme that does well for future issues. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, of which Hillier is artistic director, bring to it the pure, focused tone and expressive fervour for which they are justly famed.