This disc explores Mendelssohn's choral writing in some depth, in particular his endlessly varied use of texture, the accent here being mainly on eight-part choir or double choir, with or without soloists. The singing is of an exceptionally high quality, entering deeply, without restraint, into the spirit of each piece. To take a single example, the Ave Maria, sung, satisfyingly enough by the Lisbon Choir under Corboz (Erato/WEA) sounds, by comparison, almost prosaic. Best's performance is nearer Herreweghe's (Harmonia Mundi) in spirit and understanding. Rogers Covey-Crump's ''Ave'' takes all the time it needs to develop and subside. In the second section (''Sancta Maria …'') Best adopts a really good con moto speed and the music moves along resolutely, the interplay of soloists and choir perfectly balanced as they merge and emerge, gaining in intensity towards the climax, before the return of the tenor's long-sustained ''Ave''.
I was impressed by the little Kyrie for double choir, the music, naturally, but also the precision and resilience of the performance. In the miniature seasonal anthems the choir capture, as if by instinct, the mood of each—the square jollity of a German Christmas, the quiet mystery introducing the New Year, the brief note of triumph for Ascension Day, and so on.
Several other items, shared with Corboz, invite comparison. Audrey Michael's Hor mein Bitten is a lighter, more nostalgic sound than Anne Dawson's maturely beautiful performance. In the second section of Mitten wir im Leben sein, Corboz adopts a faster tempo. Best's interpretation slower and more fearful, is intensely dramatic. Some of the finest singing occurs in this piece: Best gives it tremendous strength and drive, avoiding the rather too detached style of Corboz. The former creates a marvellous antiphony between individual groups of low and high voices, with unerring control of dynamics. The tuning throughout is superb and the final cadence magical.'