VOCES8 Foundation Choir and Orchestra, Barnaby Smith (dir) / Jack Liebeck, violin

VOCES8 VCM166D [64:00]

★★★

Sweet tooth? Step this way. To Sing of Love: a Triptych, anew concerto for violin, choir and orchestra by US composer Taylor Scott Davis, grew out of a wedding commission from Barnaby Smith, artistic director of VOCES8. The musical language is unashamedly cinematic, tending towards the syrupy, but the sentiment is utterly sincere, with Jack Liebeck spinning a mercurial solo line of great beauty. Elsewhere, there’s a fine performance of Imogen Holst’s orchestral arrangement of Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb (with excellent soloists), a curious expansion of Vaughan Williams’ perennial Lark Ascending, and a pleasing orchestration of Rebecca Dale’s Cloths of Heaven. The disc claims to encompass beauty, love and nature. Including Eric Whitacre’s Sleep in those categories seems a bit of a stretch, but it’s nicely done.

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2024 issue of Choir & Organ. Never miss an issue – subscribe today