It is difficult to look at the cover of the CD of a setting of excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank (interspersed with Biblical references), by a composer most notable for his works for stage and screen, without a sense of trepidation that what is contained therein might register unacceptably high on the sentimentality scale. It is having that fear so near the forefront of one’s mind, though, that makes the entirety of this oratorio such a pleasant surprise (inasmuch as the subject matter can never be so). It incorporates a considerable number of elements that are skilled enough as to bring pleasure in their own right – the Williamson Voices, for instance, one of a number of choral groups of varying types operating in and around the campus of Princeton University, sing with a precision and finesse normally found in the best of the UK’s large chamber choirs, complementing the exhilarating performances of the soloists and orchestra. Further, Anne Frank’s own words are left to speak for themselves without any 21st-century qualifiers riding shotgun next to them, as is so often the case in this kind of work.

In the end, though, the greatest accomplishment here is that James Whitbourn has created some music of great beauty, without trespassing into the realm of the cloying. Not only does that release one to listen to the work’s oases of soaring melody (both in the vocal and solo instrumental sections) with impunity but leaves the integrity of such an important piece of literature, and history, intact.