Dunedin Consort made its Linn debut with this stunning recording of a cappella vocal music by America's two most famous 20th century composers: Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber.

Originally released in 2001 ‘In the beginning’ has been re-issued as part of Linn’s ECHO series which offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label’s award-winning catalogue.

The Dunedin Consort’s programme demonstrates the common ground both Copland and Barber shared: in their settings for unaccompanied chorus, each had an instinctive feel for the human voice, a natural gift for word-setting, and a pure style of writing that rarely, if ever, obscured its literary dimension.

This moving disc features a beautiful vocal arrangement of Samuel Barber's celebrated Adagio for Strings.

Aaron Copland’s In the beginning, featuring mezzo-soprano Sally Bruce Payne, is beautifully simple with lilting Britten-like polytonality and infectious jazz rhythms and soft hints of blues.

Winners of two Gramophone Awards, the Dunedin Consort has established a reputation as one of the finest period performance choirs around, receiving praise for the natural style of its soloists and renown for the virtuosity of its singers.