The songs sung in preparation for the wedding employ the vocal techniques of village singers, while the chants and choral works sung during the wedding ceremony itself reflect the sublime style more prevalent in church singing.

Everything is brilliantly and captivatingly performed by the vocal ensemble Cappella Romana. A Ukrainian Wedding is a great opportunity to learn more about Ukrainian culture — not just about folk music, but how Ukrainian society celebrates all parts of life.

This remarkable album...is a magnificent listening experience as well as a very useful cultural document.

Cappella Romana puts a lot of heart and soul, singing the monophonic songs with fervor, but emphasizing their well-dosed choral sound, especially in the polyphonic sacred songs.

The purity and clarity of the women’s voices are outstanding throughout...it is an offering of insight into the beauty and cultural depth of one aspect of Ukrainian life...that may be largely unfamiliar to listeners but that is filled with its own plenteous portion of beauty, charm and solemnity.

Inspirational stuff, captured in glowing sound.

The choir is very good...The singers feel the liturgy and are very good at spinning out the lines of chant in both works. If you are a devotee of sacred choral music, you will be pleased to hear this.

I hear the spark of the Divine in these works, and I believe that all listeners will find their souls comforted and strengthened...gripping and moving works.

Conductor Richard Sparks, his vocal soloists and choristers, and the accompanying instrumentalists are totally imbued with the spirit and intent of their proceedings, and have the necessary skills to realize them. Highly recommended.

The vocal performers...are impressive...as with much good choral music, one comes away with a finer sensitivity to our need for each other, for the collective.

the music is dense and rich but always bows to the lyrical messages of charity and devotion...the singing by the Benedict XVI Choir is consistently outstanding.

All who are steeped in the Orthodox tradition will cherish this recording...substantial, descriptive, and satisfying music of pure vocal essence.

...Pärt is an especially agreeable contemporary composer for the Byzantine liturgy, and that brings a high recommendation to this new issue.

...an amazing musical smorgasbord...a remarkable feat in achieving idiomatic-sounding portrayals of both. As we have come to expect from Cappella Romana, the singing is technically polished; the shining tone and precise intonation make for exciting listening.

Knaggs’s score is a welcome addition to the choral repertory, and this recording is worthy of repeated listening. It is highly recommended.

Cappella Romana is an ideal match for Pärt’s sacred music.

 I hear tonal music of considerable beauty, executed to a high degree of excellence. Simpson has given the work a sympathetic hearing and executed a performance of considerable power and beauty.

Messe des Malades is gently expressive and uplifting...and the massed choral portions have a sincerity and warmth that give the words a sense of timelessness in keeping with their original intent...

...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.

This recording was made in a space that frames Cappella Romana’s voices perfectly for this music...