This album was recorded on several occasions during the year 2022, the last one in December, by
Andrew Nethsingha
and the
Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge
, before he took up his new post at Westminster Abbey (and directed the choral music at
King Charles
' coronation). It is not clear whether there is still more material in the vaults, but if this becomes
Nethsingha
's valedictory release with the choir, it will represent him well to posterity. The album shows
's strengths as the choir's director. One is his devotion to contemporary music, which he has executed in an admirably catholic way. The
New Millennium
title refers to the fact that all the works on the program were composed since 2000, many of them for the choir itself, and they are a commendably varied lot ranging from works squarely in the British tradition by
James MacMillan
and
Judith Weir
to experimental sounds. Sample
David Nunn
's
Sitivit anima mea
, with its structure that grows mysteriously from a single electronic sound. Another
virtue displayed here is his sheer control as a director. He did not, like other directors, simply inherit a longstanding organization with high standards; rather, he had to remake the institution's sound when it began to admit women. Under his direction, the
, became one of the top groups in the British collegiate sphere, and there is really not a vocal weak spot here despite the large variety of material the young choristers are called upon to master.
Signum
records the album beautifully in the St. John's chapel, and in every way, this is one of the standout choral albums of 2023. ~ James Manheim