JAMES MACMILLAN (b.1959): Jubilate Deo, Serenity, Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, Tremunt videntes angeli, On Love, ...here in hiding..., Give me justice, The Lamb has come for us from the House of David, Le tombeau de Georges Rouault for Solo Organ.

Description: Depending on the forces envisioned for performance, these works vary in complexity, from straightforward pieces within reach of any decent choir of a major church to the challenging, and stylistically varied ... here in hiding ... (St Thomas Aquinas), written for the Hilliard Ensemble. All the music is tonal, with MacMillan's characteristic use of dissonance and harmonically ambiguous ornamentation, occasionally with an element of controlled aleatory. One is reminded of the British choral tradition, of Britten, and in some gestures of the organ parts (especially the birdsong imitation in the superb Magnificat), of Messiaen, and elements of plainchant and inflections of Scottish folk music also have their place, but the sum of the parts is very recognisably MacMillan's own idiom. Here the emphasis is on spiritual significance and beauty, both of which are abundantly present here. Texts included. Jonathan Vaughn (organ), Wells Cathedral Choir; Matthew Owens.