Of all the hundreds of settings of Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”) surely none exudes such calm and inner peace as Schubert’s. And few recordings have ever yielded such sublime beauty from this setting as does this dreamily shaped, exquisitely moulded account from the BBC Singers under the wonderfully relaxed hand of Jane Glover. It sets the scene for a disc of exceptional beauty and charm. Of the myriad recordings of Schubert’s part-songs (be they sacred or profane) appearing in these frantic months of bicentenary celebrations, I doubt that any will equal this disc for sheer artistry and communicative clarity.
The BBC Singers have been criticized for sounding like a collection of 28 solo voices. There’s certainly more than a grain of truth in that, but in this repertoire that’s exactly what’s needed. These are part-songs rather than choral pieces, with each part demanding both the musical and technical skill of a full-fledged soloist. That individual voices are discernible only enhances the sense of intimacy, but where a solo voice is projected above the others, as in the enchanting setting of Standchen where an effectively fresh-voiced Jacqueline Fox is given the most exquisite support from the male voices (and the ever-sensitive Susan Tomes, whose piano playing throughout is an absolute treasure), Jane Glover has no problems achieving the ideal balance. Be the songs short and happy (the buoyant Der Tanz) or long and intense (Gesang der Geister uber den Wassern) these performances capture perfectly the essential spirit of the music. Enhanced by a top-notch recording this is a truly exceptional disc.'