This aptly titled disc not only displays a colorful array of musical works but the compilation from several of Gloriae Dei Cantores’ previous releases shows the choir at its most technically brilliant and musically assured. Highlights among the 19 selections include Palestrina’s well-loved motet Super flumina Babylonis, Jean Berger’s exquisite The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee, the affecting Agnus Dei from Rheinberger’s Mass in E-flat major, and two William Mathias pieces–the Gloria from Missa Brevis and the boldly expressive Victimae paschali, with its ominous mood and often otherworldly harmonies.
Through all of this very challenging music, the choir impresses with firmly sustained balances (even in loud passages) and sensitive phrasing and dynamic shaping across all sections. Guerrero’s Rorate caeli offers a perfect example of this 40-voice choir’s exceptional ensemble skills, as does Rachmaninov’s deeply moving (but so often mangled) Bogoroditse Devo–both of which are a tribute to conductor Elizabeth Patterson’s conceptual grasp of the music’s details and her admirable ability to communicate with and inspire excellence from her singers. Although all is not perfect here–sopranos have some moments of ever-so-slack intonation, soloists don’t always project the confidence we would like, and the sound, taken from recordings made at three different venues over a 10-year period, varies somewhat in depth and detail–this nevertheless is a disc that choral fans will treasure. The liner notes are uniquely interesting, with much of the commentary written by members of the choir sharing their personal reflections on the music.
