Continuing their series of recordings of music for the major festivals of the liturgical year, the Nuns of Argentan now present the Masses for the Vigil of Pentecost and for the Day itself, together with selected pieces from the Divine Office. One rarely gets the chance to hear the new Vigil Mass, so this is much to be welcomed. Some of the pieces of this Mass are borrowed from elsewhere in the repertoire: for instance, the Introit Caritas Dei comes from the former Ember Saturday Mass which no longer exists, since the Octave of Pentecost—itself a later accretion—has been suppressed as a result of recent liturgical reforms. The Mass for Pentecost Sunday is, of course, unchanged, and still includes its incomparable 'golden sequence' Veni Sancte Spiritus, growing out of the theme of the preceding Alleluia. It is sung 'straight'—at least in theory, for more than a trace of a lilt is descernible. I cannot imagine this choir ever contemplating singing it intentionally in triple time, even though it undoubtedly was, in centuries past. The pieces from the Divine Office include the two well-known hymns Veni Creator (from Monastic Vespers) and Beata nobis gaudia (Lauds), together with the Invitatory Alleluia Spiritus Domini and some verses from the psalm Venite, exsultemus Domino (from the Night Office).
The choir's singing is well controlled and reaches their customary high standard. It is characterized by a breadth and firmness not usually found in all-female ensembles. They have a quite remarkable power of sustaining a long and complex melodic line achieved, no doubt, by staggered breathing. This is, in fact, my one main area of criticism: the breathing is at times an all-too-audible intrusion which might have been avoided by more careful placing of the microphones.'