If one starts with the greatest choral composition and works backward to the composer, then Bach by virtue of his B-minor Mass would have to stand as the greatest choral composer. In addition to his masterpiece, Bach also was the composer of over 200 cantatas and 100 chorales. He also composed four excellent Passions, of which the Passion according to Saint Matthew (or Saint John, depending on predilection) is among the most glorious piece of choral music. The irony, of course, is that all Bach's choral music is religious, except for a few secular cantatas, and because he was a Lutheran rather than a Catholic, he never composed a Mass that was functional (the B-minor is nearly three hours long) nor a Requiem (Lutherans again didn't use them at funerals). When it comes to anthems/motets, Masses, Requiems, Canticles, and Oratorios, composers like Mozart, Haydn, Bruckner, Beethoven, and Schubert come to mind. But as singularly good as any of their compositions are -- and Haydn's Masses are exceptionally good, they still do not reach the complexity and prolix of Bach. Yet, save the B-minor Mass and Saint Matthew Passion, I'd rather listen to any of these other composers for hours on end than listen to Bach. While his compositional skills are unparalleled, they tire easily. Handel, on the other hand never wrote a composition for a major choral work of Mass or Requiem, but wrote numerous anthems and six or seven Oratorios and about an equal number of Operettas. With the exception of the Messiah, and the anthem "I know my Redeemer liveth," there's not much memorable as a whole. More recently. Elgar has composed some excellent choral pieces of Substantial merit: The Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles, The Kingdom, and dozens of other Oratorios and similar works. Britten composed a great number of religious and secular choral works, including an opera and operetta, but his works don't have that particular umph that Vaughn Williams, Elgar, Parry, Holst, and Stanford have. Parry's "Jerusalem" stands out singularly as the perfect tune, and his orchestration of it, when done properly, brings tears to the eyes. Those who haven't heard his "Long in Egypt's Plenteous Land" have missed another of his stellar compositions. Britten is perhaps more stylized, but not the greater for it. D. Stephen Heersink [log in to unmask]