Palestrina: Missa Pro Defunctis; Motets
No question, this choir has a sound like no other, and it's primarily due to the fact that the all-male group uses men to sing true soprano parts. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This disc is a perfect example of what happens when everything goes right. While the opening short five-part motetGaude gloriosais beautiful, wait until you hear the almost unimaginable richness of the voices at the beginning of theMissa pro defunctis. It's hard to believe that this is pure, unenhanced choral singing, but it is. And it's a thrilling sound that resonates deep within. These singers perform with an expressive style that's perhaps more of the 20th century than the music will easily accept, but there's no real harm in allowing the soul that lives in the present to express itself, especially in music so sincere in its blend of the spiritual and sensual.--David Vernier