This was well worth the wait. The first new Tallis Scholars release for some time finds them in classic form--and the re-emergence of Gimell as an independent label promises a string of further delights. The spotlight here falls on the so-called "Light of Spain", Cristóbal de Morales, and a substantial work probably written during the composer's 10-year stay in Rome as a singer in the Sistine Chapel Choir from 1535. The Mass "Si bona suscepimus" parodies the deeply felt motet of the same name by Philippe Verdelot (inspired by the patient suffering of Job) placed first on this CD. Morales's six-part Mass--a full 40 minutes long--weaves a web of rich sound around material from the sparsely-textured Verdelot original; imagine hearing it in the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's freshly-painted Last Judgment before your eyes! The final work on the CD, Crecquillon's "Andreas Christi famulus" was until recently thought to be by Morales. It is a glorious, golden eight-part motet that haunts and hypnotises. The Tallis Scholars meet the standards we have come to expect in every way--controlled, sensitive, beautifully balanced sound, aided by Steve Smith's immaculate recording in the clean, clear acoustic of the Church of St Peter and St Paul at Salle in Norfolk. --Andrew Green