If you went to the other side of the universe from where barbershop music and doo-wop reside, you"d discover the five-voice Hilliard Ensemble singing Tallis. And if you happen to love this sort of music, you"d think this must be heaven. On the other hand, if you"re not sure you"d like the Hilliards or Tallis, here"s the perfect place to find out. The two sets of Lamentations are supreme among Tallis"s longer works, exhibiting full mastery of choral part-writing and effective use of harmonic and textural contrast. The outward solemnity of these works is sustained by the music"s underlying impassioned, penitential mood--which finds ideal expression in the otherworldly beauty of these perfectly matched men"s voices that bring phenomenal interpretive and technical skill to each line and closing cadence. --David Vernier