An oratorio based on Darwin's On The Origin Of Species might seem to risk predictability more than than obscurity, but Christophersen's handling of large masses of time, the slow geological changes of ‘Part 1: Watch The Sea At Work’, is so original and convincing that any concern about rock-opera cliché quickly disappears. What makes the music urgent and sets it apart is that the whole scenario has shifted towards the spectre of extinction as the endgame of natural selection, something Darwin had not quite anticipated, but rendered all the more poignant and dramatic by the work's preparation and premiere being played out against the background of global pandemic. The choir brings a thrilling commitment to the singing and Sean Lewis's sound design (which alone justifies the comparison with rock-music projects of similar ambition) is immaculate.

Ditte Marie Bræin (s), Frank Havrøy (bar), Ensemble 96, Telemark Chamber Orchestra, Sean Lewis (elec), Inger-Lise Ulsrud (org) / Nina T. Karlsen, Per Christian Skalstad (dirs) Simax Classics PSC1392 [62:45} ★★★★