Sweet tuning and subtle dynamic distinctions mark James MacMillan’s Ave maris stella, with gleamingly pure-toned contributions from the soprano…Technically the most difficult piece is probably Matthew Martin’s A Rose Magnificat…It is daily meat and drink to the superlative Gabrieli choir, who give a formidably encompassing performance…another outstanding issue from this outstanding team.

The vogue for pairing Renaissance and contemporary choral works is well established but this is a programme that draws the dialogue between the two repertories into fresh animation...McCreesh’s ear for a contemporary classic is unerring, and this is a programme to win new audiences for composers who aren’t (yet) household names. The Park and Lane, along with MacMillan’s Ave maris stella, are easy wins but it’s Martin’s A Rose Magnificat that demands a second and third return to the disc.

The gently glowing settings of Ave maris stella from Owain Park and James MacMillan will surely attract the attention of other top-notch choirs, but the high point of the recording is surely Matthew Martin’s virtuosic Rose Magnificat, the ecstatic climax of which shows off the full-blooded Gabrieli sopranos in all their glory.

The latest recording from Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort is not one of their customary blockbusters. There is still plenty of impressive music, but the grandeur is generated through top-notch a cappella singing rather than a cast of thousands...The Gabrieli Consort rises to [Martin's]’s complex challenges, producing a compelling performance that powerfully communicates both texts.