The Choir of Jesus College Cambridge / Richard Pinel PRAISE MY SOUL

With an impressive repertoire that extends from Palestrina to Britten, the Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge has established itself as a leading British choral group that can hold its own against the competition. Known for an active recording career, the combined voices of the chapel choir and the college choir have produced albums on sacred themes, such as the seasons of the ecclesiastical year and other topics of religious significance. Church music doesn't get more essential than the standard hymns that are held in common by many Christian denominations, and this practical aspect of liturgical music is sometimes overlooked by fans of British choral recordings. For this album, director Richard Pinel has chosen 21 beloved hymns that, for the most part, are so well-known, it might be difficult for listeners to separate their musical value from their regular use in worship. Yet these are among the most memorable melodies in Western music. Such hymns as Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven, O God, our help in ages past, Rock of ages, Abide with me, and Holy, Holy, Holy are almost universally known, and some of the selections have very familiar melodies with different texts -- for instance, Joyful, joyful we adore thee is taken from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and the most popular version of The Lord's my shepherd is set to the tune Crimond by Jessie Seymour Irvine, which was originally composed as an organ exercise and later set to a text from Revelation 21. The hymns are sung as they would be in services, voices and organ only, without elaborate arrangements or studio enhancements. For a basic collection of hymns, this straightforward presentation is hard to top. (Blair Sanderson)