CCMusic.com

The virtuosic young singers of the chamber choir Laudibus take on an inventive program of settings of Scottish poetry by some of today's leading composers. The texts range from John Barbour and Henry the Minstrel to Alexander McCall Smith, and the latter's two choral song cycles written together with composer Tom Cunningham are at the heart of the disc. From the ethereal tenderness of Cunningham's 'Lullaby' to the muscular angularity of Ronald Stevenson's a Medieval Scottish Triptych, Laudibus responds with affection, athleticism and an extraordinary expressive range. Mezzo-soprano Beth Mackay contributes solo Burns settings by Arvo Peñrt and Howard Skempton.