Philip Wilby’s versatility as a composer has encompassed all forms of instrumental and vocal music but he’s particularly renowned for his brass band repertoire and choral works. His success lies in his ability to write attractive melodic lines which combine to produce rich chordal textures, plus harmony which has a luminous quality worthy of Herbert Howells. Also, his intelligent and sensitive response to familiar texts from the Anglican liturgy will gladden the hearts and minds of church musicians at both cathedral and parish church level.

Like Howells and Britten, Wilby is skilled at composing to order for specific buildings and choirs. With the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for St Paul’s Cathedral the result is the most adventurous composition on this disc, with the chanting vocal phrases combined with organ arabesques in the manner of MacMillan, Messiaen and Tippett. Elsewhere, the harmonic language has an unashamed warmth, especially in the Two Choral Prayers and Two Wedding Anthems, while the Ave Maria is as beautiful a setting as you’ll hear from other composers.

In contrast, Wilby’s organ music has spiky dissonances, typical of the neo-classical style of the 1960s and ’70s. The predominantly heavy mid-19th-century sound of the Wells Cathedral organ isn’t ideal for this repertoire but organist Jeffrey Makinson plays with superb brilliance, both as soloist and accompanist. The committed, expressive singing of the Exon Singers under the inspired direction of Matthew Owens will delight listeners as surely as it must have pleased the composer. A rewarding and enjoyable CD, both for church musicians and for lovers of the Anglican repertoire.