Choral at Cadogan 26-27: The Tallis Scholars Rachmaninov Vespers + Pärt

One of the great works for a capella choir, Rachmaninov's Vespers grips hold of you from the start and never lets go. The richly burnished, resonant sound and the combination of ancient Slavonic chant and echoes of Russia's indigenous choral traditions create an exotic yet persuasive musical language. Interspersing it with shorter works by Arvo Pärt is a beautifully constructed counterweight. Two of the works are prayers for peace commemorating the victims of terrorist attacks — those on Madrid trains and at the World Trade Center. The unhurried purity of Pärt's vocal writing lends the Christian liturgy a pan-denominational spirituality.

Programme: Rachmaninov – Vespers (nos. 1–4); Arvo Pärt – Tribute to Caesar; Rachmaninov – Vespers (nos. 5–12); Arvo Pärt – Da Pacem, Domine; Arvo Pärt – O Holy Father Nicholas; Rachmaninov – Vespers (nos. 13–15)

Performers: The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (conductor)