Go, Lovely Rose
The Seal Lullaby
Sing Gently
All Seems Beautiful To Me
The Sacred Veil

When it comes to contemporary choral music that is at once soft, gentle, pure and rich harmonic ear-candy, as well as being profoundly touching, no one else quite matches the writing of American composer Eric Whitacre (b. 1970). There's an entrancing quality to his harmonic style and fluid lines that quite simply pulls you away from the moment. His music first made its presence on recordings about 15 years ago or so, first as part of mixed choral collections featuring various composers, and more recently as full albums dedicated to his music, as demand for his music has grown rapidly.

What makes this new release timely and notable is that it spans his entire output from his first composition Go, Lovely Rose to his latest creation All Seems Beautiful To Me (world premiere recording). It also includes the highly touching The Seal Lullaby (planned for an animated film during which a mother seal gently sings her pup to sleep), and a new recording of his cantata The Sacred Veil. All performed to perfection by the British vocal ensemble VOCES8, a small choral group of three female voices and five male voices with a balance and blend that nears perfection.

If you had been tempted in the past to listen to some of Whitacre's music but weren't sure as to which recording to start with, this one would be an ideal entry point since it covers a wide range of his work.