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Editorial Reviews

O Magnum Mysterium focuses on a Christmas repertoire that is remarkably unified in the context of the stylistically eclectic twentieth century: it offers a cappella English (and English-language) carols dating from the end of World War I until around 1970. Music by four composers -- Herbert Howells, Richard Rodney Bennett, Kenneth Leighton, and Peter Warlock -- make up most of the disc, but there is also a joyful little work, "What Cheer?," from the end of William Walton's life, and other works by lesser-known composers. Several pieces of Sarum plainchant are also included. These works are better known in England than in the U.S., but if you've sung in a choir you have probably encountered their ilk; they are calm and lyrical, restrained in every way, with enough extended harmony to keep them away from sentimental territory but never enough to hone an edge anywhere. Though a very professional performance is on offer here, this is music that has been sustained by serious-minded and ambitious amateur choirs. Polyphony and its director Stephen Layton are ideally suited to this music; they have a pure sound that's neither warm nor remote, and they know how to make the best of a church acoustic environment, in this case St. Jude-on-the-Hill in London's Hampstead Garden Suburb. U.S. listeners with large collections favoring the likes of the Dale Warland Singers may wish to check out this holiday item from across the pond. James Manheim, All Music Guide

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