T. Tallis, Harry Christophers, Thomas Tallis, Harry Christophers, The Sixteen - Sacred Choral Works - Amazon.com Music

Hundreds of years before Phil Spector introduced American rock audiences to his "wall of sound," 16th-century English composer Thomas Tallis wrote his 40-part motetSpem in alium.This was the real thing--no electronic gimmicks, no overdubbing. Imagine the effect of eight five-part choirs in the highly resonant acoustic of a large church, piling up layer upon layer of sonic blocks of harmony; methodically, rhythmically building the sound toward a climactic conclusion more than nine minutes later. While no recording can do full justice to this piece, this one comes close. The rest of the program is filled with music and choral singing that is nothing short of inspired: there is a spare beauty in the short hymn "O nata lux"; a dazzling display of near-perfect ensemble singing in the hymn "Jesu salvator saeculi"; and sheer sensuality and exhilarating power in the six-part Marian antiphon "Gaude gloriosa."--David Vernier