"Siglo de Oro and their director Patrick Allies have resourcefully sought to recreate a scheme of Sunday worship with works by contemporary composers, extending the concept to incorporate pieces written for the most significant parts of the church calendar ... Kerensa Briggs's setting of Media vita - a Lenten antiphon sung prior to the Nunc dimittis and commissioned by Siglo de Oro in 2015 to mark the 500th anniversary of the Tudor composer John Sheppard - is a sumptuous multi-voiced affair, the second, a Sarum responsory In manns ruas by Judith Ward, whose music is a central feature of the album, is infused with the influence of plainchant and modal inflection. This is nicely crafted music (the Kyrie and Agnus Dei especially so), liturgically practical, well conceived for the choir, and its not unduly technically challenging harmonic palette is one that is deftly designed to be accessible to both professionals and accomplished amateurs ... This is an imaginative album, beautifully sung and directed. Credit should also go to the organist Simon Hogan for his sensitive accompaniments and the closing voluntary. The glow of Delphian's handsomely recorded sound (enhanced by the environment of Waltham Abbey), moreover, brings clarity and breadth to the range of new, interesting and attractive pieces featured here, most of them premiere recordings"

"The programme has been designed as what James Potter describes in his excellent booklet essay as an “imagined liturgy”, covering the services that one might attend in the Church of England, running from Compline on the evening before the Sunday, through the morning Eucharist to Evensong; it’s a programming concept that really appeals to me. The planning has been taken one stage further in that the choice of music takes us through that part of the liturgical year that runs from Lent through to Trinity Sunday ...I enjoyed this disc very much indeed. The music is consistently stimulating and inventive. The performances by Sigo de Oro are as accomplished as I’d expect; that’s to say, highly accomplished. Just fourteen singers take part but when required they can make a terrific sound; elsewhere, though, when the music demands it, they observe all the subtle nuances. Patrick Allies has clearly prepared his singers with great care for this assignment; just as importantly, it sounds to me as if he has instilled in them great commitment to all this recent music. Producer/engineer Paul Baxter has recorded the performance in first-rate sound. The documentation is up to Delphian’s usual high standard, not least in terms of the excellent introduction to the music provided in James Potter’s essay."

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Read John Quinn's full review here

This album stands as a testament to how contemporary compositional voices can inspire and elevate the spirit just as powerfully as beloved masters like Harris, Bairstow, and Howells did in the previous century ... The concept is ambitious yet executed with remarkable clarity and conviction ... Recorded in the magnificent acoustic of Waltham Abbey in Essex, the engineering quality is superlative, creating such presence that one feels physically transported into the sacred space. Among numerous highlights, Judith Ward's Versicle and Responsesemerge as a genuine revelation—refreshingly original yet deeply respectful of tradition ... Simon Hogan's masterful organ accompaniment demonstrates exceptional sensitivity to textual meaning ... The true glory of this recording, however, is Siglo de Oro itself. Their impeccable ensemble blend, crystalline diction, and perfect intonation create a sound that is both precise and profoundly moving. This choir brings technical brilliance and spiritual depth to each composition, making this disc an essential acquisition for anyone who appreciates the continuing vitality of the Anglican choral tradition ... For those who treasure sacred music in all its forms, this recording is not merely recommended—it is essential"