This is one of the gems of the Chandos catalogue, a recording without a weak link. Hickox was one of the finest choral trainers until a burgeoning international career made him focus on work with orchestras. But he can still make a chorus sing at a level that I suspect surprises even the singers themselves. Britten's extraordinary War Requiem, a vast choral work on the futility of war, was premiered in the newly built Coventry Cathedral in 1962, and has since become one of the late 20th century's most-performed choral works — despite the complexity of the forces required. The soloists — Heather Harper (who sang at the premiere at very short notice), Philip Langridge and John Shirley-Quirk — are magnificent, singing with an almost unbearable intensity. They are matched by choral and orchestral contributions that tug at the heart strings. Chandos's recording is truly magnificent, adding to the power of this great work.