I have to admit I'd never heard of Howard Goodall before searching on Amazon. I'm a fan of choral music, and for a long time I've had "find Mr. Bean music" on my to-do list.
I was surprised to learn it was by a contemporary composer, and ordered the CD.
It's quite a revelation; each piece is thoughtful, deep, and quietly masterful. I love choral, but I prefer Renaissance to contemporary. In just 24 hours, however, this recording has changed all that; a beautiful collection of pieces - I'd put this album right at the top of my favourites list.
So far my favourite is 'Palm 23' - I've never actually watched 'The Vicar of Dibley', so I don't to have to disassociate the music from a TV show. It's sublime, sheer comfort; a real indulgence, but I've played it about 15 times! The CD is worth it for that track alone.
Like the other reviewers, I'm enjoying the other tracks more and more with each playing. I very highly recommend this CD - it's well worth the wait.