Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Chirst the King - night time _320

THERE was a time when Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, now Master of the Queen’s Musick, was the enfant terrible of the British music establishment. His music pushed barriers, explored new territories and often shocked audiences.

That’s why his latest work had the audience anticipating a great event. Hymn to the Spirit of Fire was commissioned by Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Concerts Society – a brave move deserving the very highest commendation – and was a great paean of praise which drew warm and enthusiastic appreciation.

It cleverly fused many of Davies’s great inspirations: plain-song, folksong and Renaissance polyphony. The verses were written by Hildegard of Bengen, a medieval abbess whose intensely personal and searching writings have been used as inspiration by a number of composers. These were juxtaposed with freely adapted settings of the plainsong, Veni Creator Spiritus.

From moments of intense drama which filled the entire cathedral space to quiet contemplation the work seemed, also, to echo other composers of church music.

But yet that impish – sometimes innocent, sometimes intense and complex – character of Maxwell Davies kept coming to the fore.

Richard Lea’s mastery of a demanding organ part underpinned some quite excellent singing from the cathedral choir, as well as members of the Cantata Choir, under the direction of Timothy Noon.