No contemporary composer has done more to demolish the myth of musical progress than Pärt. Musically an anti-modernist, Pärt looked to the past for his inspiration, to the religious texts and music of the Middle Ages. And to paraphrase what Wagner once said of Brahms: It’s amazing to hear what this cat can do with the old forms. Hillier’s new CD features a selection of Pärt’s shorter liturgical works, including music performed a cappella and with organ accompaniment. Glacial harmonic progressions in the title track seemingly stop time, while off-beat rhythms and unexpected crescendos in Salve Regina create a sense of spiritual wonder.