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Although Elgar's Gerontius could be an surprising star of Bennett's The Choral, this masterpiece hardly requires a increase in recognition. Edward Gardner's vibrant new album stands as one of several released in the last two years, with an additional one expected early next year.

Recorded live at the 2022 BBC Proms, the energetic performance boasts a great deal in its favor. Clayton captures the febrile nature of the protagonist near death whose every sensation is both a fear and a fascination. Clayton's heroic voice thrills in the great hymn, Sanctus Fortis, while an expressive handling of text highlights the philosophical question and answer section in the second part. Jamie Barton's luxurious mezzo-soprano possesses a palpable presence as well as providing ample reserves of comfort. Platt's craggy bass is well-suited to the angel character.

Gardner is intensely dramatic, expressing the narrative with an almost operatic audacity. The LPO performs as if a chorus of evil spirits was at its back, paralleled by the joint forces of the London Philharmonic and Hallé choruses. Here and there, the acoustic deprives the performance of the final bit of directness, but overall it's a fine accomplishment to rank with Nicholas Collon's arresting from Finland account issued in recent months.