Sonograma

At a time when contemporary choral music is seeking new languages without breaking with the spiritual roots of the genre, Full of Grace stands out as a landmark work. This new album by British composer James Woodhall, to be released on July 4, 2025, under the Divine Art label, offers a selection of choral pieces of great expressive maturity and profound spirituality.

The album is performed by the Cantores Lucis choir, made up of family members, friends, and emerging and established professionals. This ensemble, which specializes in contemporary sacred repertoire, provides a warm and precise reading, with a vocal interpretation full of nuance and emotion. The quality of the recording and the accurate acoustics of the chosen venues (the churches of St. Cuthbert and St. John) further enhance the sound experience.

The centerpiece of the album, The Damascus Sequence, is a thirty-minute choral cantata structured in ten movements, inspired by Paul’s conversion according to the Acts of the Apostles. Woodhall displays a choral writing style that oscillates between dramatic intensity and contemplation, with outstanding solos such as “I am Jesus” and “Saul Sees and is Saved,” which humanize the biblical story with moving sincerity.

Other pieces such as The Shepherd’s Carol, Ave Maria, Ave verum corpus, and Light from Light demonstrate the composer’s ability to renew traditional liturgical texts with his own unique and contemporary voice. His writing is characterized by memorable melodies, clear harmony, and great attention to the prosody of the text.

The three soloists, James Woodhall, Hugh Legg, and Will Houghton, bring an exceptional interpretive dimension. Legg offers a lyrical and expressive tenor, while Houghton brings gravity and warmth. Woodhall, at the piano, acts as a discreet but essential backbone of the sound atmosphere.

Full of Grace is a coherent, committed, and deeply human artistic proposal. With this work, James Woodhall confirms his place as one of the most promising voices on the current choral scene.

—Núria Serra