Harry Christophers, The Sixteen - Ikon: Rachmaninov, Tavener, MacMillan, Stravinsky, Kalinnikov, Holst, Pärt, Chesnokov (2006)

Ikon by Harry Christophers and the Sixteen is a marvelous offering of sacred choral gems, the group's second collection on Decca following the successful 2005 release Renaissance: Music for Inner Peace. A perfect disc to introduce this well-established vocal ensemble to newcomers, Ikon consists of 16 works that are evenly matched in their sublime moods and understated delivery; listeners who might enjoy an hour-long disc of uninterrupted "chill-out" bliss are likely to find it here, while others who relish gorgeous tone quality and rich divisi harmonies will be delighted with the warm, resonant performances. The Sixteen's specialty is a cappellachoral music, particularly of a meditative nature, and most of the selections run true to form; only Arvo Pärt's De Profundis for male chorus, percussion, and organ and James MacMillan's A Child's Prayer and A New Song, both for mixed choir and organ, diverge from the norm, though their accompaniments are muted and do not break the album's quiet, reflective character. The program is weighted in favor of works in the Russian Orthodox choral tradition – Rachmaninov's and Chesnokov's hymns are most representative, while the compositions by Tavener, Kalinnikov, and Stravinsky are more imitative – so a full appreciation of the album may depend on some acquaintance with this vein of choral music. But Christophers has elicited moving performances from his singers and made each work come across with deep sincerity, so this album is accessible to anyone with a soul. For the most part, Decca's sound is excellent, though the soft antiphonal passages in Tavener's Exhortation may be heard most clearly on headphones.