THE BIG PICTURE: CHILCOTT, MCDOWALL, WEIR | DELPHIAN RECORDS

Bristol Choral Society, Bristol Youth Choir, Hilary Campbell (conductor), Ian Tindale & Annabel Thwaite (pianos)

High in energy and rich in expression and range of subject matter, these three works for mixed choral and instrumental forces show contemporary British music at its most accessible and engaging. Bristol Choral Society is joined by a children’s choir, solo soprano and solo piano in Cecilia McDowall’s contemplation of the human lifespan and our place in the universe. Bob Chilcott explores the sights and sounds of London through the ages, with the two choirs layering street cries, and piano duet and percussion tracking the changes of mood – from bustle to lyrical evocation – before the arrival of bells draws the work to a resonant conclusion.