When I receive a "new classical" music CD I always feel some anxiety; I'm often a bit out of my element and feel that I won't adequately be able to review and convey the work(s) as well as those who've had years of acquaintance with modern classical under their belts. 'LUX' allays that anxiety by presenting works that do not fall into the avant-garde, and speak more to the heart than to the intellect. Three works are to be found on this album, two by Norwegian composer Stale Kleiberg - "Hymn To Love," and "The Light," and one, "Requiem," by British composer Andrew Smith. The artists involved in realizing these compositions are the Norwegian artists, the Nidaros Cathedral Girls' Choir, under the direction of Anitak Brevik; TrondheimSolistene (strings); Ståle Storløkken (organ); Petra Bjørkhaug (organ); and Trygve Seim (saxophones). The real stars though are the glorious voices of the Nidaros Cathedral Girls' Choir. Through much of this it was difficult to keep tears from welling up in my eyes, and as jaded as I am, that doesn't happen very often.

'Lux' was commissioned from the composers to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of Nidaros Cathedral Girls’ Choir (Nidarosdomens Jentekor) in 1992. The centerpiece (sandwiched in-between Kleiberg's compositions) is Smith's "Requiem," loosely based on the Roman Catholic mass for the dead, which takes up almost 46 out of 70 minutes of the album's length. Some of the texts in the traditional Requiem Mass have been replaced with biblical references to children in dire circumstances, in order to reflect modern tragedies in which the young are innocent victims, such as terrible massacres at Utoya and Oslo in 2011, the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the 2018 massacre at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. "Requiem" may seem like an odd choice for a 25th anniversary celebration, but once you hear it, you'll be enraptured by its beauty and sadness. Although the musical material in the Requiem takes its inspiration from Gregorian chant, Trygve Seim's emotive saxophone lends a modern touch that does much to contemporize the work, and even the organ parts played by Bjørkhaug have a more modern sound than traditional "churchy" solemnity. The choir sings in Latin, but there are English and Norwegian translations in the booklet. The girls' vocals are glorious and in combination with the splendid saxophone are sublimely moving. Anita Brevik must be commended on her excellent arrangement and conducting skills as well, synthesizing the voices of these young women into something heavenly and ethereal.

Kleiberg's "Hymn To Love," which open the album takes its lyrics from the biblical 1st Corinthians 13, 1-13 - "If I speak in the tongues of men or angels, but do not have love..." and is sung in English. The Trondheim Soloists strings are pervasively expressive in this piece, and the composition is the perfect opener for 'Lux,' where an uplifting sense of hope and joy (which it most certainly conveys) is needed for what follows. Kleiberg's "Light" which closes the album features more of the Trondheim Soloists than the Girls' Choir, as it is nearly six minutes before the voices come in, and the piece is less than 10 minutes long. For me, this was the weakest part of the album, but it was still in keeping with the concept.

The sound of course is superb and gorgeous, even just on the SACD which I listened to for the review. The second disc is a part Blu-ray audio, part data disc. It contains a 2.0 LPCM mix, a 5.1 DTS mix, a 7.1.4 Auro 3D presentation, and a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos version that will play on home theaters that support a normal 7.1 configuration. Audiophiles should be in ecstasy over this.