Robert Shaw was a genius at getting exactly the sound he wanted from his groups. Although I've sung and heard sung Randall Thompson's Alleleuia many times before, I've never heard it done with such sensitivity and emotion before. I was stunned by the prayerful, pleading, exultant performance of this piece, and it brought tears to my eyes. O Magnum Mysterium also was done with powerful emotion, reminding me once again how music can touch our hearts and souls.
I wish I could give this recording SIX stars.
Personal favorites are the Biebl "Ave Maria" with its lush males-only sub-group, (Northwest-native) Morton Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" weaving in and out of beautiful dissonance, and the haunting traditional melody "Carol of the Birds" with a beautiful soprano solo and some spectacular singing by the men.
My only gripe with the album is that the overall volume level is very quiet, and thus does not work well on random with other CDs. Small price to pay, though...
