For several decades the North American choral scene has been an important market for British composers such as Rutter, Carter, Jenkins and Chilcott, in addition to native writers such as Eric Whitacre. Of the younger generation, the Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen (b1980) is one of the most successful and prominent. A native of Trondheim, he grew up in a rich choral environment, absorbing much from his time as a member of the Nidaros Cathedral Boys’ Choir.

Arnesen’s first large-scale choral work, Magnificat (2010), was a turning point and led to a series of commissions. The Holy Spirit Mass recorded here, composed for the National Lutheran Choir in 2017 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, was first performed by them in Washington DC. Arnesen intended the work to be both celebratory and reflective, ‘giving comfort, strength, inspiration and excitement’.

By interweaving the familiar Mass texts with English translations of the ninth-century Veni Creator Spiritus and Luther’s hymn Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord, he has certainly refreshed the genre. His idiom is approachably diatonic, referencing more than once the sort of background music so prevalent in competitive TV series. The variety of emotional responses to the texts is greatly aided by the accompaniment of piano and strings. The string-writing at the start of the piece is beautifully evocative and calming. Other highlights include the ‘funky’ bass in ‘The Spirit’s Work’ and an exquisite violin solo in the ‘Peace’ movement, together with a gorgeous final cadence. The Trondheim Vokalensemble under Sofi Jeannin cope well with the English texts and the additional pressures of recording under Covid in September 2020.