Two things distinguish this disc: Kevin Bowyer's immaculate accompaniments and Regent's warm, flattering recording. Simon Lole is lucky indeed to have the services of such skilled professionals at his disposal. With the best will in the world, though, a world-class organist and a top-notch recording would be wasted if neither the choirs nor the music were worth hearing on disc. As it is, both manifestly are.
Simon Lole is a gifted choir trainer. The Warwick girls' choir is tonally rather hard-edged but tautly disciplined and readily responsive. The boys' voices are full-blooded, nicely-blended and possess an impressive expressive range. Best of all are the men, who display the kind of musical and vocal maturity often lacking from even the best cathedral and college choirs.
As a composer Lole belongs to the 'enthusiastic amateur' school, writing for his own choirs and for special church occasions. He avoids problems of form and structure by focusing on the words (here ranging from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer to the 1980 Alternative Service Book, from Isaac Watts to Gary Cole—coincidentally Regent's producer) and the musical style can best be described as 'comfortable anglicanism'. But while nothing is startlingly original or even mildly inventive, neither is it predictable or overtly derivative and I find immense satisfaction from the diversity of styles and moods, each presented with open sincerity and disarming simplicity. There are fluffy carol arrangements with Rutteresque accompaniments (including an enchanting Jesus, good above all other), well-crafted and eminently singable congregational services, a fluent Evening Service for girls' voices, and two beautifully sinuous tunes, The Journey and Lole's only published piece The Father's Love. A rewarding disc for all lovers of church music.'