Imaginative programme The Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields - reviewed by ROBERT HUGILL '... an impressive standard ...'

For any church or cathedral choir wanting to produce a CD showcasing their talents, the tricky questions of repertoire and the structure of the recital must be addressed. In a recent disc, the choir of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh came up with an imaginative Ascension themed programme with a musically complete evensong featuring recent music commissioned by or associated with the choir. The music for evensong not filling up an hour, they cleverly finished of with Messiaen's L'Ascencion.

For their new disc, the choir of St Martin in the Fields in London have opted for a recital which mixes older, familiar repertoire with pieces which are particularly associated with St Martin's. The disc is titled The Spirit of St Martin's and is obviously intended to reflect the ethos of the music making at St Martin's. The twenty six strong choir (female sopranos and altos) is a voluntary group who proclaim that they sing to a professional standard, and on the evidence of this disc that is pretty true. The disc was recorded in the church and both of their organs were used.

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