Buckfast Abbey Choir, Matthew Searles, Charles Maxtone-Smith - Messe modale: Upper voices music for Mass by Alain, Fauré and Langlais (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Introitus. Gaudeamus
02. Messe Basse: I. Kyrie
03. Messe Basse: Messe Basse: Gloria (by David Davies)
04. Messe Basse: II. Sanctus
05. Messe Basse: III. Benedictus
06. Messe Basse: Messe Basse: O salutaris hostia (by André Messager)
07. Messe Basse: IV. Agnus Dei
08. Messe Basse: Alleluia. Ave Maria
09. Messe modale en septuor, JA 136, AWV 110: I. Kyrie
10. Messe modale en septuor, JA 136, AWV 110: II. Gloria
11. Messe modale en septuor, JA 136, AWV 110: III. Sanctus
12. Messe modale en septuor, JA 136, AWV 110: IV. Agnus Dei
13. Messe modale en septuor, JA 136, AWV 110: Choral cistercien pour une élévation, JA 134, AWV 62
14. Messe modale en septuor, JA 136, AWV 110: O quam suavis est, JA 35, AWV 39
15. Trois prières, Op. 65: I. Ave verum
16. Trois prières, Op. 65: II. Ave maris stella
17. Trois prières, Op. 65: III. Tantum ergo
18. Trois prières, Op. 65: Communio. Beata viscera
19. Missa in simplicitate: I. Kyrie
20. Missa in simplicitate: II. Gloria
21. Missa in simplicitate: III. Credo
22. Missa in simplicitate: IV. Sanctus
23. Missa in simplicitate: V. Agnus Dei
24. Aïn Karim, fantaisie pour flûte et orgue

This recording from the sopranos and altos of Buckfast Abbey Choir captures the unique sound world of upper voices for the Mass. Drawing on repertoire from a short, yet vibrant, period in early twentieth-century France, the programme showcases Masses by Gabriel Fauré, Jehan Alain, and Jean Langlais, three significant figures in the evolving tradition of French church music. These works are interspersed with Gregorian chants in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patron of the Abbey Church at Buckfast, in whose radiant acoustic this album was recorded. Fauré's Messe basse, with its intimate lyricism, is paired with a contemporary Gloria by David Davies. Alain's Messe modale en septuor reveals his rhythmic vitality and chant-inspired style, while Langlais' Missa in simplicitate embodies an effortless spiritual purity. Rooted in the Benedictine tradition – restored at Buckfast by French monks in 1882 – and French inspiration, this album offers music of beauty, simplicity, and prayerful intensity.