Heinz Valk called the 1989 liberation of the Baltic states from Soviet tyranny the Singing Revolution. Now, 20 or more years later, we to the West are able to reap the benefit from this rich living tradition of unaccompanied choral music, much of it folk-influenced, all of it firmly rooted in the centre of a sense of nationality.

This new collection of Cantus Maris Baltici – ‘Songs of the Baltic Sea’ – a project recorded in Oxford, Sussex and London, has the true ring of authenticity about it. Mike Brewer’s intrepid young choristers are on glowingly excellent form throughout. Hats off to them for tackling such stimulating and little-known repertory with gusto and obvious enjoyment.

The two heavyweight pieces are the half-hour, five-movement Symphony for Choir by the Latvian Pe¯teris Plakidis and Galina Grigorjeva’s Choir Concerto Svjatki. Both require heroic reserves of vocal energy. Stephanie Guidera is an outstanding soloist in the ‘Guessing Song’ movement of the Grigorjeva, imbuing her singing with a strong Slavic flavour. Dominic Barberi is also excellent in Gabriel Jackson’s persuasively crisp new piece.

However, it is one of the shorter pieces that stands out above all the others, helped, perhaps, by the hand of the ailing Mozart. Lacrimosa by the Lithuanian Mindaugas Urbaitis weaves the surviving eight-bar fragment from the Requiem into a movement of rare beauty and deep intensity.

An outstanding disc which emphasises how fortunate the NYCGB is to have Brewer’s drive and energy. Rejoice!