This new disc by the Spanish choir El León de Oro of music by Francisco Guerrero (1528 99) joins an impressive line of recordings on the Hyperion label, whose dedication to Iberian repertoire is notable. Opening with Magnificat quarti toni, their radiant choral sound is carried by a convincing momentum. With nearly 40 singers, the phrases are confident and broad but never strident: this approach lends an especially atmospheric air to the Lamentations, where vowel sounds are soft and few consonants penetrate the warm glow of the generous acoustic. The result is a delightfully rich sonic bath that departs significantly from many British ensembles’ approach.

Despite the sudden mood/mode shift between Sancta et immaculata and Regina caeli a 8, the latter motet is a particularly fine performance. Those who know it from Westminster Cathedral Choir (Hyperion, 8/99) or The Cardinall’s Musick (10/10) will appreciate the larger choral approach to this work in particular. No selection of Guerrero’s motets is complete without a recording of his exquisite Ave virgo sanctissima but here I wished for more alto presence in the extraordinary rising phases. Instead they maintain focus on large-scale mood: great swathes of rich polyphony again have a beautiful momentum, especially at ‘Salve semper gloriosa’ (‘Hail, ever-glorious one’).

The lesser-known works from Canciones y villanescas espirituales are notable for Guerrero’s remarkably tuneful style. Knowing the selection previously recorded by La Colombina (K617, 9/07), I would prefer solo voices in these textures for a more nuanced interpretation. Take, for instance, Mi ofensa’s grande (‘My offence is great’). El León de Oro completely avoid any madrigalist word-painting: ‘tu muerte y sangre’ (‘your death and blood’) and even ‘¡Ay, Dios! que te ofendí’ (‘O my God! I offended you’) could benefit from more style delineation from the motet performances.