Lux

We listen in the compilation to the expressive medium of the human voice at its best and finest in sublime religious chorals from the Renaissance to the present day. The two works from the Renaissance are Thomas Tallis' masterpiece 'O Nata Lux' (born of light), the luminosity of which acquires another layer of beauty through the otherworldly sound of the saxophone; the second, the famous 'Miserere' by Gregorio Allegri representing the conflict between darkness and light is traditionally performed during the service of Tenebrae (shadows). Tavener's trance-like work, 'Mother of God, here I stand' and Rachmaninov's magnificent 'Bogoroditse Devo', both derive from the mystical musical traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church and both are parts of extended nocturnal works, in the case of Tavener from 'The Veil of the Temple' and in the case of Rachmaninov from his exemplary work 'All-night Virgil'. Early mystical Latin poetry has inspired modern, living composers represented in this compilation who have developed links wit Voces8: Lauridsen in his 'O Nata Lux' uses simple means to create a universe of spiritual joy and hope. The first and last pieces in the compilation are both titled 'Ubi Caritas' and they are exactly 3.48 minutes each but belong to different composers and their music has different timbre. The first by the Norwegian, Ola Gjeilo draws from the Gregorian chant while the concluding piece by Paul Mealor, a resplendent and celebratory motet was commissioned by Prince William and was sung at the Prince's wedding to Catherine Middleton in 2011. Finally, in recent years the boundaries between pop and classical music have become blurred. Two beautiful transcriptions represent this trend: 'Teardrop' from 'Massive Attack's' album 'Mezzanine' and the ballad 'The Luckiest' which appeared on the soundtrack of the film 'About Time'.

VOCES8: These guys are simply the best. Wonderful arrangements, expertly sung and produced. Particular favourites are Elgar’s lux arterna and “The luckiest” - what a great song that is, always tugs at the heart.

I might be alone in valuing the text that accompanies a Voces 8 CD but for me the white on yellow background is a real disappointment here. It renders the text almost illegible and I’m surprised it passed their usually rigorous and exemplary design process. Never mind. Music sublime as always. They could sing my shopping list and I’d listen.

I first became aware of Voces8 when the conductor of my chamber choir decided to add Underneath the Stars to our repertoire. Since then I have enjoyed watching various YouTube clips but thought it was about time to support them by buying a CD. The singing on this disk is of the consistently high standard you would expect and it's also a slick production. The mixing of ancient and modern works pretty well, although a couple of the contemporary pieces feel slightly out of place. The line-up of singers was somewhat different to what I'm used to, with some that I consider integral to the group - such as the bass Jonathan Pacey - not taking part in the recording. I agree with another reviewer: whoever thought that white text on an orange background would work for the sleeve notes was misguided.

Stunning - even if you aren't particularly a fan of 'church' music, this is nonetheless a wonderfully relaxing and spiritually uplifting CD. There is one track in particular that intrigued me, and that was Massive Attack's 'Teardrop'. Not something you'd usually find on a CD like this. But it's really good!

This is a beautiful recording and well worth 5 stars. However the accompanying booklet is Terrible - whoever thought that white text out of a yellow/orange background was a good idea should review his/her Graphics course. I would have liked to read the background to the tracks and info on the singers but due to my previous comment this was impossible. The producers need to revisit this.

If you've heard Voces8 before, then you'll know what you're getting and you won't be disappointed. As previously, they mix contemporary with classical and do it wonderfully and seamlessly. A beautiful album by a simply stunning collection of beautifully blended voices.

My favourite Voces8 album. Great to get the CD rather than rely on streaming. Well produced and a nice selection of contemporary and older pieces. Recommended.

Come da titolo , gli otto esegutori di questo interessante disco ci deliziano con le loro bellisime voci con oratori abbastanza famosi come Tallis, Rachmaninov e Allegri e meno famosi, ma tutti eseguiti con molto garbo e professionalità. La novità di questo disco sta anche negli arrangiamenti di brani moderni dei Massive Attack, Elgar e Tavener. In alcuni brani intervengono con discrezione un cello e un sax alto, insomma un disco che raccomando per chi predilige gli oratori o cori in genere. Incisione Decca eccellente.

美しい歌声。心が癒されます。

I was introduced to Voces 8 by a friend who is also a huge choral lover, and I am delighted with this discovery. A quiet Sunday was the perfect time to put on Lux, and the professionalism and skill of the Voces 8 singers was immediate on hearing the first few tracks. When we go to Allegri's Miserere (one of my favourite early choral pieces) I was struck by the skills of the group, the way they can blend the parts, and the soaring highs and solid bass voices. This is a great group, and I've ordered their complete discography to add to my choral collection. The other piece I particularly love is the Elgar Enigma Nimrod choral version (Lux Eternae), which starts beautifully and never fails to give me goosebumps, but the tempo is too fast for my liking and for some reason the latter part of the work doesn't thrill me as much as I had hoped. The tracks on this CD are a wide variety, ranging from traditional choral fare (such as the Miserere) to more recent choral compositions, as well as several lesser-known pieces. Most are wonderful, but there are a few tracks that will stand out for you, depending on your choral preferences. Never heard saxophone with your choral music? You will here! While this CD would be a solid background music disc, I prefer it up from and central, focusing on the music and the emotions conveyed on some of my favorite tracks. Very well done, and while not a traditional choral mix, perhaps that's all to the better. Most choral discs don't include Massive Attack!

Ich hatte vor einigen Wochen das Glück, Voces8 erstmals zu hören und gleich live in einer Lübecker Kirche. Viele Jahre schon bin ich selbst Sänger im Hauptberuf und halte den a-capella-Gesang als Training für jeden Sänger für unverzichtbar. Er schult in hohen Maße das miteinander musizieren als Gegenteil von "Wettbewerb". Seit kurzem bin ich selbst wieder der Bassist eines 4-stimmigen gemischten Ensembles ( jetzt in anderer Besetzung als 10 Jahren zuvor einige Jahre lang ), weiß also, worum es geht. Die CD kann mit der Qualität des Live-erlebnisses durchaus mithalten, gibt durch die zusätzlichen Instrumente sogar noch ein paar wunderbare Farben hinzu. Solch wunderbare Musik wünschte ich mir häufiger im Mehrkanalton, also auf SA-CD! Ich empfehle diese Scheibe ohne Einschränkung weiter, habe sie auch schon mehrfach verschenkt. Matthias Noack

Excellent soloists and beautiful harmony