Ottawa Bach Choir, Lisette Canton, conductor (Canto)
This season marks the 10th anniversary of the Ottawa Bach Choir and the release of this CD is part of the celebrations. It begins and ends with the music of J.S. Bach, Cantata no. 196 and the motet Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit auf respectively, and includes music by Monteverdi, Buxtehude and Messiaen among others. In addition to authoritative and beautiful accounts of the Bach works, Monteverdi’s Cantate Domino and Messiaen’s O sacrum convivium! are especially enjoyable, but there are no weak performances in this impressive retrospective.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2012