After a healthy run on the Conifer label in the late '80s and mid-'90s with recordings of composers from Purcell to
Poulenc,
Richard Marlow and his
Trinity College Choir, Cambridge, switched to Chandos in the late '90s. Unfortunately, Chandos chose not to release
Marlow and the
Choir's recordings at that time, but only years later. They were recorded in 1999 and the
Duruflé disc came out in 2005, the
Mendelssohn disc came out in 2006, and this Palestrina disc came out in early 2007. For fans of
Marlow and the
Choir who knew and loved their earlier recordings, this was a crying shame. Their clear, warm, and balanced performances of Purcell and
Poulenc -- along with
Bach,
Brahms, and
Stravinsky -- showed them to be a superb small mixed choir, and making their fans wait years between releases was intensely frustrating. Fortunately, the wait proved well worth it because like their
Duruflé and
Mendelssohn discs,
Marlow and the
Choir's disc of Palestrina is magnificent. Recording the Renaissance master's 25 motet settings of Offertory hymns was an excellent idea -- there are no other comparable collections available -- grouping them by mode was a terrific idea -- the progression from the Dorian to the Hypomixolydian is strangely compelling -- and performing them with expressive elegance and spiritual intensity was a great idea -- the interpretations here are consistently gripping and completely moving. One can only hope that Chandos has more recordings like this in the vaults and that they are released in short order. Chandos' recording, made in the Chapel of Trinity College, is rich, deep, and full.