Ever since the tenure of the late and legendary choral conductor Robert Shaw, the Atlanta Symphony's chorus has been known as one of the top symphonic choirs in the world. Shaw's longtime assistant and successor, Norman Mackenzie (who conducts on this disc) has continued Shaw's achievements and extended them in some ways — such as the creation of the chamber chorus that performs on this CD.

There were no other new arrivals on the classical chart this week. Guitarist Sharon Isbin's recording of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the New York Philharmonic returned to the chart at no. 15, as did the Nonesuch release of John Adams's My Father Knew Charles Ives and The Dharma at Big Sur (no. 19), Maurizio Pollini's disc of Chopin Nocturnes (no. 23) and pianist Lang Lang's collection of favorites, Memory (no. 25).

Sting's Songs From the Labyrinth (music of John Dowland), Joshua Bell's Voice of the Violin (transcriptions of vocal works), soprano Ren_e Fleming's Homage: The Age of the Diva and Paul McCartney's oratorio Ecce Cor Meum continue to hold the top four spots on the classical chart.