There are no challengers in sight yet to John Rutter's Conifer performance of the earlier, full seven-movement version of the ever-lovely and heart-easing Requiem: this is the familiar 1900 revision with amplified scoring (including trumpets and trombones) and with staccato semiquavers in the last movement. As such, comparison must be with the Ledger recording on EMI, though that has an all-male choir and this uses mixed voices. In many ways it is an impressive reading, though the children artfully imported for the final beatific In Paradisum slightly undershoot the mark at the climactic ''Jerusalem'' and never fully recover. The Introit is taken very slowly (Thomas is the only conductor to obey the tempo indication of crotchet = 40), and the extremely hushed first choral entry is most atmospheric: however, a slow Sanctus (begun really pp, as it should be—the King's choir was far too loud here) makes the ''Hosannas'' drag. The chorus is a good one, the tenors definitely superior to the King's men in the Agnus Dei; and the orchestral weight is effectively judged. Rose-Marie Mezac is touchingly tender in the Pie Jesu, where Arleen Auger was very cool (and too forwardly placed): Michel Piquemal is a light, gentle-voiced baritone not unlike Stephen Varcoe on the Conifer recording, though unable to match his splendid long breath-control at ''et semini ejus''. For me personally, the Rutter performance is still preferable; but those who want the conventional version will find this one has much to commend it.
The baritone soloist takes over, in another acoustic, as conductor for the Messe basse (which was Ledger's fill-up too). It is a charming little work, originally written for a small church in Normandy but revised 25 years later, reducing its five movements to four and replacing the original Kyrie. Here choice will rest on whether you prefer it sung by trebles, in which case the King's choir for Ledger has a pure-voiced solo boy but is inescapably Anglican-sounding as a whole, or by women, which is the position on the present disc. Tempos are markedly slower throughout, but the tone is beautifully warm, the solo mezzo is excellent, and the work radiates peace and tranquillity.'