Truro Cathedral was consecrated in 1887, and the 125th anniversary celebrations in 2012 included the commissioning of four new compositions by Paul Drayton, Gabriel Jackson, Russell Pascoe and Julian Philips. This CD features all those works, plus premiere recordings of pieces by Graham Fitkin and Becky McGlade. All the music on this disc has been composed during the last few years, and one senses that, within a traditional Anglican framework, the cathedral embraces present-day creativity and looks towards music of the future.

It’s good to have the less familiar names of McGlade and Pascoe standing alongside the better-known Gabriel Jackson, James MacMillan and Francis Pott. There’s a pleasing variety of musical styles and a fascination in hearing new settings of famous liturgical texts, such as Pascoe’s Magnificat, Nunc dimittis and Missa brevis. One can hear echoes of Britten and Mathias in the complex rhythms combined with approachable harmonies in the works by David Bednall and Pascoe. Drayton’s pieces employ busy choral polyphony with rich chordal clusters, while Jackson exploits the full dynamic range of the choir and Truro’s wonderful Willis organ. In contrast, MacMillan’s composition has a timeless simplicity, while McGlade’s ‘In the bleak midwinter’ is as beautiful as the settings by Darke and Holst.

The Truro Cathedral Choir under the tireless direction of Christopher Gray give outstanding performances, with a satisfying equality of balance and tone between the boys and the men. Luke Bond’s colourful accompaniments and Gary Cole’s typically superb recording add to the listening pleasure of this truly excellent CD.