Choir & Organ Magazine Review: Transient Glory II - Vital Records

Performed with vigour and freshness, this disc contains eleven recent commissions from this large youth choir, ranging from the delicate and understated (Judith Weir's Little Tree) to the dramatic (Tod Machover's I Dreamt a Dream with electro-acoustic accompaniment), and from the humorous (Benjamin Lees's The Nervous Family) to the cross-cultural (Bright Sheng's The Boatmen's Song): varied and often challenging music, performed with verve and colour - truly displaying what Núñez calls the 'transient glory' of youthful voices. Other composers include Nyman, Argento and Del Tredici, and there is a strong collage piece by Kevin James which grew out of a project in New York City's 'poorest and most undeserved' neighbourhoods. Despite signs of over-enthusiasm in the singing at times, there is a great deal to enjoy in this enterprising disc.

Alan Bullard