Arvo Pärt is almost the spiritual father of his fellow-countryman Andrejs Selickis (born 1960) and the two musicians share a deep faith which moulded many of their works. Selickis's style, in his a capella choir works presented here at least, harks back in part to Gregorian material, specifically in its rigorous and yet atonal counterpoint and the ineffable joy of the monody that he uses at times. He also borrows from Russian, Greek, Baltic and Armenian Orthodox liturgies amongst others. The rich modal harmonies and the soloists' voices echo those of a Cantor in certain passages. Though we say a capella, we should note that Душа грустит о Небесах ("My Soul is Yearning for Heaven") (2017) and O Crux Cristi!(2016) call on some discreet timpani strokes and Litany for Mother Teresa (2012) also brings in two cornemuses and a touch of strings, weaving a delicate backdrop of long notes. All these works are religious, which is all the more understandable when we consider that the composer is a Psalmist for the Latvian Orthodox Church. © SM/Qobuz