Reformation 1517-2017 CD review – a luxurious lineup

Reformation 1517-2017 – trailer.

The choir of Clare College, Cambridge opens this album marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a rampant performance of Martin Luther’s Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, followed by Bach’s Reformation Day Cantata BWV 80 of the same name. A luxurious lineup of soloists - Neal Davies, Mary Bevan, Robin Blaze and Nicholas Mulroy – and top instrumentalists (led by violinist Margaret Faultless) ensure highest quality, but the urgency of the opening cantata makes for slightly nervous listening, individual choir voices standing out too prominently. It may suit some tastes better than others. The rest of the disc is better blended, especially the Mendelssohn, Brahms and some lovely Vaughan Williams.