Pickard / Guerrero / Bednall / Victoria / Howells / Villette: Gratia Plena – Music For Mary

   in Choir & Organ (Sep, 2015)
The young voices of the University Singers number 32 and produce an unforced sound in these large choral textures. Combining eight-part motets by Guerrero and Victoria with Salve Regina settings by Howells and Villette works brilliantly, and the devotional intent of each is communicated with assurance. It is not clear which tracks Allinson and Bednall direct, but the consistency of line and timbre throughout is commendable. Three motets by Bristol composition professor John Pickard are mysterious and profound, owing much to the early 20th-century French school. More resonant acoustics than the Chapel of St Augustine could have made repertoire, performance and recording an even better delight. …