The subdued melodies and delicate harmonies familiar in the secular music of
Federico Mompou and Manuel Blancafort, especially notable in their quietly reflective piano pieces, are also present in their sacred works for choir and organ; yet these are the only qualities that carry over into their liturgical music, which is almost wholly functional and not intended to be quaintly coloristic or atmospheric in effect. Since most of the works on this 2003 CD by the
Chamber Choir of the Auditorium "Enric Granados" in Lleida were composed for use in Roman Catholic services, to supplant Gregorian chants and fulfill the need for new settings of Vatican II texts in the Catalan language, practicality is emphasized. In both
Mompou's and Blancafort's liturgical pieces, straightforward melodies, and supportive chordal organ accompaniments dominate, and the choir's textures seldom diverge from four-part harmonies and simple unisons. Because of the music's regularity and consistency, some listeners may find it similar to
Arvo Pärt's or
John Tavener's triadic choral music and enjoy it for its soothing "chill-out" quality. Others, though, may feel that these propers, hymns, and responsorial psalms are too utilitarian and perhaps too liturgical for comfortable home listening. For pieces a little outside the ecclesiastical norm, try Blancafort's Tripticum Sacrum or
Mompou's Ball Rodó, which have a lively madrigal quality that is quite appealing.