Work: The woman with the alabaster box

The Estonian Music Days end with a recital of choral music that often proved challenging, but not in a good way. 

A magical, brilliantly conceived programme of Byrd, Tallis and Arvo Pärt

A competition for young composers run by the National Centre for Early Music may perhaps, at first glance, sound like a contradiction, but the winning pieces, performed tonight by the Tallis Scholars in Durham Cathedral, acknowledged the glories of early polyphonic choral music whilst conveying their composers’ own distinct musical ideas.