It’s always gratifying, dare I say comforting, to hear a piece of ‘classical’ music composed within the last ten years that actually sounds like music. And by that I mean music that you can easily relate and commune with, music that can evoke strong emotive reactions. After all, the definition of music is: the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity. The music of American composer Frank La Rocca (b. 1951) achieves exactly that…this setting of the Requiem stirs the soul. With richly harmonic and textured singing by the choir and soloists set over minimal instrumental lines, not only does the music evoke the proper sentiments, but it does so without artifice. The Benedict XVI Choir is perfectly suited for this type of music. Their seamless tonal blend, combined with simple yet genuine delivery, directs your focus on the essence of the music.