With many years' university chapel experience behind him, John Rutter should be well attuned to the ecclesiastical style; and this Requiem declares that indeed he is. But the music is no parody of the style; it is the expression of it in terms of sensitivity and beauty. Indeed, listening to it inspires reflections that if only many other composers could use tonal harmony with such skill and expressiveness they might not need to explore the outer reaches of fashion with such enthusiasm. Of course as Requiems go this is among the shorter and simpler ones; it is also among the more beautiful ones.
Into giving such an impression it is helped on this occasion by the most agreeable quality of performance. That the orchestra play well may reasonably be taken for granted, on record, by now; but the corresponding assumption may by no means be made about singers. In the case of this Requiem all is unusually well: the chorus is of splendid tone, and especially well blended; and the two soprano soloists, Caroline Ashton and Donna Deam, fit the work ideally. This is principally on account of the mildest of vibratos being used (as they should be) where suitable, and in a degree suitable, for the moment concerned in the music, rather like good woodwind soloists. Why cannot more singers listen to good instrumentalists (the oboe soloist on the record, Quentin Poole, for example)? It is pretty safe to say that these two sopranos have done so in the past, and probably still do so. as they are also armed with very good intonation and phrasing, their combined contribution to this pleasurable Requiem is a major one.
The Requiem does not, at some 37 minutes, quite fill the record, which runs on to an orchestrally-accompanied setting of I will lift up mine eyes. This, too, is cultivated ecclesiastical music; while it is in no way disagreeable, perhaps something standing in rather greater contrast to the Requiem could have been found to follow it, something sounding less like an eighth movement of the seven-movement major work. I am sure Rutter has a great deal in stock from which to choose; and I would very much like to hear it.'