Chandos’s most valuable exploration of Kenneth Leighton’s large-scale output continues with this exhilarating coupling. Composed during 1973-74 in direct response to the death of his mother, Leighton’s Sinfonia mistica (the second of his three numbered symphonies) is scored for soprano, chorus and orchestra. Described by its creator as “a requiem or a meditation on the subject of death which usually becomes so more real to us in the second half of life”, the symphony has six movements and sets texts by such great metaphysical poets as John Donne, Thomas Traherne and George Herbert, while also making telling use of the 1865 American hymn tune The Shining River (it makes a wraith-like appearance at the very start and is quoted in its entirety in the substantial finale). The linked “Meditation” and “Elegy” at the work’s heart manifest an especially potent beauty, serenity and compassion, but, truth to tell, inspiration soars consistently high in this cogently wrought and (above all) profoundly humane utterance. This is music which, I have not the slightest doubt, will amply repay repeated listening. The orchestral version of the glorious 1964 Te Deum laudamus (commissioned in 1966 by Bernard Rose and the Oxford Bach Choir) makes a rewarding postscript.

Both performances are beyond reproach. Sarah Fox sings with refulgent tone, commendable accuracy and shining intelligence; and Richard Hickox rallies the BBC Welsh forces to the same dizzy heights that marked out the previous volume in this series (7/08) as one of the best discs of 2008. Outstandingly vivid sound, too, with a perfectly judged balance throughout. Miss at your peril, and the good news is that Chandos have more Leighton lined up for the spring.