Whitacre: Cloudburst

'This one is in the We Told You So Department. American composer Eric Whitacre in his mid-30s, is, with the estimable Morten Lauridsen, a part of a growing bounty of choral exploration and development frequently now being recorded by the British-based Layton and his remarkable ensemble, Polyphony. And the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have heard the word and smartly nominated this outstanding CD for a Best Choral Performance Grammy. The title work alone is a tour de force, the singers themselves creating the percussive sound of a raging storm. Note, also, the wrenching despair of “When David Heard”, this may be too much for families suffering the loss of military sons and daughers right now, by the way. Lauridsen’s new “Nocturnes” also with Polyphony, hits stores in February. For now, soak yourself in this superb “Cloudburst"'