It is no easy task to find a suitable category in which to place this recording. La Reverdie (‘Springtime’? ‘Green again’?) is a not­quite­ all­female group (five women‚ one man)Êall of whom both sing and play a programme of 13th­century motets with one chant (the Easter sequence Victimae paschali laudes)‚ a handful of 14th­ and 15th­century songs‚ and three of their own instrumental compositions. The sequence provides the clue to the whole programme: ‘Mors et vita duello’‚ the struggle between life and death‚ light and shade‚ night and day. We are given full texts and translations but no liner­notes as such: only a miscellany of pseudo­philosophical musings‚ ranging from the Bible (Genesis‚ Revelation)‚ through Tertullian‚ Hildegard of Bingen and Robert Grosseteste‚ to a selection of modern writers‚ all these extracts suggesting that medieval Europe was obsessed with Manicheism. Surprisingly‚ the struggle between good and evil is played out in the gentlest way‚ using mezzo­soprano textures and softly tinkling instruments. Rarely does the volume rise above mp. Once Nox has initially established itself‚ and the theme has been announced in the sequence by a clean‚ firm soprano line‚ we can sit back and enjoy what follows and hardly notice when victory occurs and Lux triumphs. Sherwin’s finale is based on a cantus firmus structure‚ using the repetition in slow equal notes of the first phrases of the sequence‚ a pleasing interplay of bells‚ recorder and muted cornet.