**** (4 stars awarded)

Belatedly there's a surge of interest in the 83-year-old John Joubert.  Of course in choral circles he has already achieved immortality as the composer of Torches, surely the most stirring Christmas carol written in the 20th century.  And for many years he was a distinguished music lecturer at Birmingham University.  But now we are starting to hear his grander compositions. Quite right too. They are passionate, beautifully crafted and profound.  What's more, they are no longer stigmatised (even by the BBC) for being tonal, tuneful and traditional.

That's the background to the premiere at the Three Choirs Festival on Monday of Joubert's new An English Requiem. The title isn't the only thing inspired by Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem. In his six movements Joubert uses several of the same psalm texts, and similar solo voices (soprano and bass-baritone). He also follows Brahms in using fugues to add cumulative intensity to choral movements, though Joubert's are a good deal twistier.

Stylistically, however, this is a very English requiem.  Especially in Gloucester Cathedral (and 100 years to the week after Vaughan Williams's Tallis Fantasia was premiered in the same building) one could easily imagine Elgar, VW, Howells, Britten and Walton nodding their heads in approval (and, perhaps, recognition) as Joubert's majestic climaxes, astringent harmonies and poignant melodies echoed round the Gothic arches.

Tracing a journey from mortal terror and earthly prayer to Judgment Day (fanfares and drums to rival Verdi), a triumphant declamation of faith, and finally transcendental tranquillity, the Requiem seemed a far more convincing assertion of belief in the afterlife than is usually encountered in the Anglican Church.  And Joubert's choral writing, pictorially orchestrated, had a cinematic sweep.  But even more telling were the solo movements.  Here an ardent Carolyn Sampson and Neal Davies intertwined with, respectively, solo oboe and horn - perhaps a metaphorical way of suggesting souls soaring free from mortal bodies.

Under Adrian Partington's assured direction - and, happily, with the composer present - the Three Choirs Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra gave a thoroughly prepared and committed performance of the piece.  I hope that it, too, has an afterlife.