Choral Chillout - Music from Handel, Mozart, Hans Simmer, John Tavener, Craig Armstrong and more.

The BBC has issued this double CD which is designed to help shake off the stresses of the day.

Forgive me for saying so, but the title itself would have caused me to walk straight past the rack in HMV, accelerated swiftly on by the schmaltzy cover.

What a good job I had the privilege of reviewing this collection of choral tracks, otherwise, I would have by-passed this gorgeous offering.

As it says on the cover, the two discs provide more than "two hours of music to relax and inspire you", and tracks range from composers as diverse as Faur to Wagner, and Albinoni to Debbie Wiseman.

There are also a few theme tunes used to introduce TV programmes such as Absolute Truth, Son of God and The Blue Planet.

Some are absolute classic spiritual favourites, performed by such luminaries as the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, while others are represented by a truly international range of voices from as far afield as the Slovak Philharmonic Chorus.

All have the common theme of spirituality, which lends itself so well to choral music.

The one track which jolted me from my near-meditative state of relaxation - no, I was not asleep - was the English Chamber Chorus' s version of Strength (from the Prayer Cycle) composed by Jonathan Elias.

It is a long time since I have pricked up my ears on hearing a piece of music and, once pricked, they were treated to a feast of beautiful sounds which lingered in my aural cavities for a long time afterwards.

Unfortunately, I was so shaken from my musical reveries by this wondrous composition that I made the mistake of leaping up to find details of the performers - but to no avail. This would be my one criticism of compilations like this.

They are so diverse they cannot cater for those of us who would like to know a little more about the music they are listening to.

Go and find out, I hear you cry! But I'm so relaxed I haven't got the energy!

A thoroughly enjoyable CD. Chill out and sink yourself into the sounds.

WMEF 0070-2