Critical Acclaim for "It is Finished: 
Stations of the Cross"

American Record Guide

November/December 2007

It is Finished: Stations of the Cross
St. Martin's Chamber Choir / Timothy J. Krueger
Cygnus 9 - 52 minutes

It seems a bit odd to be covering an Easter collection in an issue otherwise dominated by Christmas music. But this poignant album of sacred classics for Holy Week from a very fine Denver ensemble proved to be a pleasant contrast to the parade of holiday fare. 

The idea here is to offer music that corresponds to the "stations of the cross", a collection of both scriptural (from all four Gospels) and legendary incidents associated with Christ's final path to Calvary and his crucifixion there. These are not narrative pieces that help tell the actual story, but meditations suitable to each stage of the journey. Quite a few churches commemorate the passion story in this manner, so a collection like this one could be considered a service of sorts . 

Most of the 15 selections are well-known items from ages past: Renaissance and baroque masters like Lassus, Palestrina, Byrd, Tallis, and Schutz, among others; later notables like Mendelssohn, Bruckner, and Casals. Contemporary items from M. Susan Brown and Terry Schlenker (a favorite of this choir) round things out. It's all very subdued, full of melancholy, and very lovely. 

Mr. Greenfield and I have covered (and enjoyed) most of this fine choir's half-dozen or so albums. They're now nationally distributed, so you don't have to call their home office or go to their website anymore. Everything's nicely recorded, and the booklet is efficient, but complete. Don't hesitate.

Lindsay Koob

[Lindsay Koob lives, sings, and writes in Charleston SC, where he is also the promoter of a chamber music series and heads the classical department of the major record store.]

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