Why We Seek

The Moscow New Choir; The Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra, Timothy Mount, conductor

Despite the fact that the packaging masquerades as some kind of self-help book, there’s no need to be scared of Seek the Eternal. As the subtitle states, it’s simply “an interfaith oratorio celebrating the spiritual life.” And what does that sound like? Well, quite pleasant really. Composer John Schlenck is good at staying within the lines of the tonality coloring book. Expect a tuneful journey, with more prolonged subdominant minor deceptive cadences, rather than the obvious plagal variety.

—RN