On track: Magical mystical tour through the ages

By WILLIAM DART

Darkness into Light, the latest album from Anonymous 4, is certainly what it claims to be - "A Mystical Journey from Medieval & Modern".

The disc's 12 tracks feature hymns and chants from the Middle Ages interwoven with new works by Sir John Tavener, that most mystical of British composers.

The singing of these four American women is an acquired taste. Those already hooked by their timeless and slightly spacey sound probably have their albums on standing order; those who find their pristine blend a little on the bloodless side might take more convincing.

For the latter I would recommend the four Tavener works, as their wider vocal scoring means a greater range of timbre in the lower voices.

Certainly, the women's handling of the older material, with four voices moving seamlessly from unisons to gently dissonant harmonies, is otherworldly.

All four Tavener works were originally written for the Chiligirian Quartet, who are able colleagues on the recording. Of the three shorter pieces, a setting of the Lord's Prayer has a little more bite in its harmonic structure, and it's welcome.

Tavener's The Bridegroom, based on the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, offers a good 17 minutes of music to bewitch the converted listener; it is immaculately delivered with a recording to match. The composer has stipulated that it be "almost unbearable in its ecstatic light, its endless melodic arc, its intense compunction". Tavener enthusiasts will not be disappointed.

The first thing you notice with Tonus Peregrinus' new recording of Arvo Part's St John Passion is just that - passion. Choir and organ announce the work's title with a rousing forte. Part's score has become staple repertoire in the choral repertoire; a minimalist Bach for our time.

Despite much that is lulling in the music, there is also drama. The chanting textures are more broken up; solid soloists handle the parts of Jesus and Pilate and instrumental colours, especially oboe, are crucial.

This Naxos recording, at budget price, is extraordinary value. Minimalist it might be, but, when it comes to conveying the power of the Gospel story, it's far from minimal.

* Anonymous 4, Darkness into Light (Harmonia Mundi, HMU 907274); Arvo Part, Passio: St John Passion (Naxos, 8.555860)