Review of Benjamin Britten, \u3cem\u3eSacred and Profane, AMDG, Five Flower Songs, Old French Carol, Choral Dances From Gloriana\u3c/em\u3e, Polyphony, Stephen Layton, conductor. Hyperion, 2000

The choral works of English composer Benjamin Britten (1913-76), like his efforts in other forms, have been overshadowed by his operas. War Requiem, essentially operatic in character, along with Rejoice in the Lamb, and A Ceremony of Carols, have risen to the top of the choral repertoire and receive the majority of the attention paid today as concert and recording fare. These, however, obscure a number of other excellent works in Britten\u27s choral output. Sacred and Profane, a release by Stephen Layton and Polyphony, provides a useful glimpse at some of Britten\u27s lesser known works for mixed chorus, including previously unpublished (and even discarded) juvenilia. The recording spans Britten\u27s career with works from his school days, his prime, and his final choral offering, and takes listeners on a chronological journey through the composer\u27s development and maturity