Cloudburst is the central piece here, a dazzling kaleidoscope of busy clamour, arcing lyricism, solo and spoken passages, sighing, handbells, wind chimes, inter alia. Whitacre was only 22 when he wrote it. Mightily effective, it's superbly performed (as is everything else on the CD) by Polyphony and Stephen Layton.

The combination of tonal opulence, expressive depth and verbal conviction creates a heart-melting mix in When David heard, by far the longest work on the disc and a masterpiece of unaccompanied choral writing. Unmissable.

Whitacre has experienced enormous success recently, writing choral and wind ensemble music. It's not hard to see why, from this impeccably performed collection.

This beautifully performed and recorded CD contains the bulk of Whitacre's choral canon and displays his delicate yet vital approach to writing for voices. I guess if you like Tavener (or Pärt, who is strongly evoked in David), you'll enjoy Whitacre.

I would certainly urge anyone with a love of choral singing to buy this disc, not merely to sample this atmospheric sound-world but to luxuriate in the gorgeous choral tone of Polyphony

A highly significant composer with a very genuine gift for choral writing and one, moreover, with that priceless ability to communicate strongly and effectively with his audience.

Here's a CD to put the hype back into Hyperion … extraordinarily beautiful … the recording is blessed with top performers in the choir Polyphony under the conductor Stephen Layton, who carefully shapes the recitativo phrasing and demands crystal clarity in diction and ensemble. Hyperion has a winner

As heart-stoppingly electrifying as anything you've ever heard … ranks as one of the truly worthwhile recording events of 2006.

Ethereal and chillingly beautiful choral works—an intense and moving aural experience.

Whitacre creates magical compositions that are stunning in their power. A beautiful album.

Theirs is the sort of virtuosity that calls no attention to itself but unfolds the music with a spontaneous, ongoing sense of discovery.

If you have any interest in choral music, you absolutely must buy Cloudburst, a new CD of Whitacre’s choral music, sung with otherworldly purity of tone and security of pitch by the vocal group Polyphony, conduced by Stephen Layton…Whitacre is the genuine article.

This is one of the most exciting discs to come onto the market … the whole experience is simply stunning. The precise and secure tuning of Layton's group, with effective, elegant phrasing and ensemble makes this more than a winner—it's a superb disc.