Composer: Panufnik, Roxanna (b. 1968)

Contemporary religious music can seem to exist in a different world to the rest of contemporary music, and rarely since Messiaen was in his prime has there been much evidence of it as a really progressive wing of composition. But unlike much new music, new religious music is often written with a clear sense of purpose in mind, particularly when it is intended specifically for liturgical use – and so accusing it of not being wildly bold in terms of style is sort of missing the point. This Saturday evening's concert, part of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music, was an excellent introduction to several rewarding sacred works.