Requiem And Other Choral Music (Rutter) (1984)

'John Rutter's 1985 recording was the first to use the 1893 version, which was scored for strings, harp, timpani, horns, trumpets, and organ. This version is essentially a chamber work, and Rutter scales the chorus down in size to match the intimacy of the orchestration. The result is a more austere-sounding work, but one whose clarity and purity are revealed with fresh insight. Rutter's performance is notable for its spare, clean linearity; it achieves plenty of feeling without the Romantic richness of the full orchestra. The Cambridge Singers, which he founded, and members of the City of London Sinfonia perform with discipline, tone that is pure and luminous, and lyrical intensity' (Stephen Eddins, Allmusic)