Their first disc of transcriptions (Naïve, A/03 - nla) was, and remains, one of the most impressive displays of choral singing ever released. If their second initially has less impact, that is possibly because the first two pieces have rather obvious instrumental support. Laurence Equilbey's ability to create an illusion of quasi-orchestral colour from the 40 voices of Accentus was one of the unforgettable first impressions of that earlier disc, but once we are passed an interesting if slightly unconvincing arrangement of one of Vivaldi's Seasons turned, strangely, into a requiem for chorus and continuo, and a straightforward version of Schubert's Litanei with piano accompaniment, we have choral singing every bit as good as their previous disc.

Among the most magical moments here are an almost unbearably exquisite arrangement of Ravel's La flûte enchantée, Solange Añorga soaring to the stratospheric heights rather more gracefully than she does in Wagner's Im Treibhaus, and Accentus producing a sound which positively glows. Equilbey's powerfully focused and deeply artistic direction means that there is never a hint that these works began life in any other format. In this, of course, she has been greatly helped by her choice of transcribers; and Gérard Pesson in his commentary on his transcriptions wryly points to Equilbey's guiding hand in assuring him that Ravel's textures were “perfectly possible” for a choir.

A delicate whistling from somewhere in the choir adds a haunting descant to the Pavane from Ma Mère l'Oye, but otherwise almost every vocal sound here is conventionally created, and it is a magnificent testament to the sheer skill and musicianship of Equilbey and Accentus that it all sounds so richly textured. A disc of total and unalloyed luxury.