David Hill leads the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge in performances of two contemporaneous masses by Belgian composers. Joseph Jongen wrote five movements of his Messe en l'honneur du Saint-Sacrement, with brass and organ accompaniment, in thanksgiving for his son's release from Buchenwald in 1945, and added a Credo in 1948. Flor Peeters wrote his Missa Festiva in 1947. In spite of its date of composition, Jongen's mass sounds like it could have been written at least a generation earlier. It's a lyrical and harmonically rich piece that's recognizably part of the French tradition, with musical ties to Fauré and Franck. Peeters' Missa Festiva, in spite of its title, includes several somber movements, including a haunting Kyrie. Part of its character comes from the use of plainsong as the basis for some of it movements. Peeters has a more modern sensibility than Jongen; while his melodic writing is consistently lyrical, his harmonic language is leaner, and his extensive use of choral unison locates the work as a product of its own time. Each mass is fully successful in terms of its own aesthetic, and each has moments of transcendence. The CD also includes three serene solo motets Jongen wrote early in his career. The men and boys Choir of St. John's sings with sweet, well-blended tone, and with nuanced phrasing. Hyperion's sound is nicely resonant, capturing both the grandeur and intimacy of the music, and the balance is good. ~ Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide
