Having championed this recording in the face of all comers, I can hardly be surprised that Decca have recut and reissued it as a classic. It certainly deserves the accolade. The Nelson Mass has become a regularly recurring theme in my recent life, and this version is played through each time a new contender enters the lists. I played it again in its refurbished state as soon as it arrived and took immense pleasure in it all over again. My comments last month, comparing it with the Marriner (EMI), Davis (Philips), Hickox (Argo) and Rose (Guild) versions, spoke of its sense of commitment and its power to transport the listener to the gates of heaven. I can now say, having subjected myself to its absorbing compulsion once more, that the magnetism remains as strong as ever.'