Magnificat

This is a very lovely disc of music devoted to Mary by Josquin, Taverner, Monteverdi, Cornysh and others. The music itself is extremely beautiful; it is often meditative as in Josquin's limpid setting of Ave Maria sometimes strikingly chromatic in the Monteverdi settings and bounded by some lovely chant. It represents some of the finest 16th and 17th century music and forms a really enjoyable collection.The singing is excellent. I have enjoyed Chanticleer's recordings for some time and this is among the best I know. They have a full, rounded sound in which individual lines are not always completely distinct, but whose overall effect is exceptionally beautiful. The singers are technically excellent with faultless intonation and a genuine engagement with the text and there is a genuine sense of worship and communion with the Virgin and even though this is not a religious belief I share, I find the effect profoundly spiritual and moving.The recorded sound is excellent and the presentation very attractive making this a very fine disc all round, and I recommend it very warmly.