Hello

Driving home from work earlier, they played Allegri's Misere on the radio. It's been a favourite of mine for a long time, and it was described afterwards as "sublime". I have to say I agree with that.

I also love Mozarts' Ave Verum and Laudate Dominum

I just wondered, what Choral pieces would you describe as "Sublime"?

Poulenc 'Gloria' without a shadow of a doubt, particularly the last section.

And the 'Dies Irae' from the Verdi Requiem still sends shivers down my spine whenever I hear it.

Big thumbs up for Mozart Ave Verum. Haydn's Creation, Mahler 8, Chichister Psalms are all great as well. Brahms did some sublime choral work too.

JSBach's Mass in b minor.
Pretty much the whole thing.

And Thomas Tallis - the motet for 48 (I think?) voices....I'd love to hear that one live, with all the voices spread around a big space with great acoustics.

It's too hard to narrow it down, but I'd say Bach Magnificat, Brahms Requiem, Mozart Requiem, in fact most requiems (especially Faure, Durufle, Verdi), Bernstein Chichester Psalms, Monteverdi Beatus Vir - I could go on, but those the 1st that spring to mind!

For me it has to be Tallis or John Tavener. The Lamb is truly sublime as is much of Tallis.

Lots of those mentioned above but perhaps for me the Fauré Requiem and the first and last choruses of the Bach St Matthew Passion.

Not sure how I forgot Faure. The Requiem and indeed the Cantique are beautiful. He always went for sheer beauty instead of massive forces.

Far too many to do justice to here, and agree with many of the above, but would add bits of Vaughan Williams's Sea Symphony and Britten's War Requiem, lots of Elgar, including much of "The Dream of Gerontius", and the "They Shall Not Grow old" bit of "For The Fallen" from "Spirit of England", some of the spirituals from Tippett's "A Child Of Our Time", "Lift Thine Eyes" from Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Rossini's Stabat Mater (especially "Quando corpus morietur").

This thread has reminded me of how very rich the English and northern European choral repertoire is and how much it means to us. It seems that the combination of fine poetry and beautiful music has some kind of magical attraction for us.

Thanks for your responses so far!

I love the Requiems mentioned too. Also, the Cantique by Faure.

I listened to Carl Jenkins Requiem last night, and find the In Paradisum quite beautiful.

Yes, I agree with your last post Aquarelle.

Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus, Abendlied by Rheinberger, pretty much all Tallis, Guy Scott Turner's Requiem, lots of things.

Anything by Rutter... Especially 'Wings of the morning'

Mozart's Requiem (gives me goose bumps) and also the one by Faure. Elgar's Dream of Gerontius.

I have just had two concerts of the Tallis Scholars singing Palestrina and 16th century Spanish - just wonderful - gets into my bones.