Hearing the familiar introduction to Edward Bairstow's Blessed city, heavenly Salem played by a substantial number of orchestral strings rather than on the organ is quite a shock to the system; it sounds like the overture to an oratorio. That is no accident, as this recording consists of arrangements of liturgical works that were made with either grand ceremonial occasions or the great choral festivals such as Three Choirs and the Birmingham Triennial Festival in mind. The 42 undergraduate and postgraduate members of Merton College Choir and 18 girl choristers rise with aplomb to the challenge of matching the superb Britten Sinfonia, producing a rich, robust yet bright sound that is very different from that of most of the cathedral choirs that have recorded this repertoire. They revel in the long lines and emotional depth of large-scale anthems such as Elgar's Ecce sacerdos magnos and in the splendour of Douglas Hopkins's arrangement of Dyson's Evening Service in D, embellished with orchestral trumpets and tuba. From beginning to end of the album everyone involved sounds as though they are having a wonderful time, and as a listener I shared their enjoyment.

Aíne Smith (s), Ruairi Bowen (t), William Thomas (b), Girl Choristers of Merton College Oxford, Choir of Merton College Oxford, Britten Sinfonia / Benjamin Nicholas (dir) Delphian DCD34291 [55:08] ★★★★★