Kenneth Leighton identified his sense of purpose as a composer within society through music he crafted for the church, for amateurs and for young people. This excellent CD from Londinium and the Finchley Children's Music Group brings together compositions for these three groups (several are premiere recordings), in which they are joined by first-rate soloists, under the baton of Andrew Griffiths. Though not professional singers, Londinium possess a thoroughly satisfying, vibrant sound and remain undaunted by the challenges of Leighton's highly individual harmonies. Moreover, they are well attuned to Leighton's sensitivity to text, especially in the most substantial work on the CD, his 1973 Laudes Animantium. An unmissable recording for anyone interested in this important but all-too-little performed composer.

Rebecca Lea (s), Nina Bennet (s), Clara Hendrik (m-s), Nick Pritchard (t), Londinium, Finchley Children's Music Group / Andrew Griffiths (dir) Somm SOMMCD 0667 [72:21] ★★★★★