The aptly named Alpha & Omega is the last of three discs of choral music dedicated to the pugnacious Scottish composer James MacMillan by Cappella Nova, a choir with whom he has been associated since at least 1994 when they commissioned his Seven Last Words from the Cross. To say that they are inside his idiom, then, is an understatement. The first two volumes were exemplary, and this new SACD is no exception.
MacMillan refers to his attraction to a “soft English modernism” as opposed to the Darmstadt school, which he has always found problematic. His own sound is direct, yet complex; ecstatic, yet grounded in a deep humanity and a desire to communicate his faith – in this case Catholicism. But don’t let that put the rest of you off – his is an engaging sound world with a message that transcends dogma to touch the heart and soul.
The major work here is his Missa Dunelmi, written for Durham Cathedral, and here conducted by the composer himself. MacMillan’s melismatic lines and soaring melodies are faithfully conveyed (with a capital F) though the soprano line can feel a little abrasive at times.
The other six works are all premiere recordings and range from a forceful Magnificat to the mystical motet, I am your Mother. The Invocation, words by Pope John Paul II, is an original work involving some tricky humming, a moment which sounds a trifle odder here than perhaps it is meant to be. The recording, in a generous church acoustic, is first rate. Do try it.
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