Kevin Sutton wrote:

>Another very fine recording is the Simon Rattle on EMI.  Sam Ramey,
>Elisabeth Soderstrom and Robert Tear are a fine trio of soloists and the
>choral singing is splendid.  This work, IMHO is the greatest choral work
>of this century and I am thrilled whenever I hear it.

I would agree with Kevin that the Rattle is a very fine recording indeed.
The opening to the Sanctus is thrilling, the way it was when I heard it in
concert with Britten way back in the sixties.  And I would agree, too, that
the War Requiem is an exceptionally powerful work.  The greatest choral
work of this century? Possibly.  At least it is in the top three.  I would
rate Belshazzar's Feast right up there with the best of them.  And Vaughan
Williams has done some wonderful writing for choir as well.  And what about
the Delius Mass for Life? Try to get hold of the recording - now deleted
because of copyright problems - with Norman del Mar and Kiri te Kanawa.
That performance confirms the greatness of this neglected masterpiece and
composer.

Did you notice that all of these are British? Could it be that, in this
century, British composers have brought choral music to an unparalleled
level?

Jonathan