Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem - Bernstein: Chichester Psalms

Vaughan Williams’ cantata, written in 1936 while Europe was in the grip of pre-Second World War political turmoil, is a beautiful yet troubled and anguished threnody, setting the words of Walt Whitman and the Bible to music. The resonant acoustic of King’s College, Cambridge, gives a magnificent bloom to the recording, especially in the “Dirge for Two Veterans” from the Dona Nobis Pacem, and the soloists and musicians could hardly be improved upon in this repertoire. Bernstein’s own musical prayer for peace also features, and is at turns vivacious and inward. The treble soloist is superb in his vocal tone and poise.