Bernard Labadie shows that not only does he know how to get superb articulation and the most subtle phrasing effects from instrumentalists, but he also is a singer's conductor who fully engages with the soloist in an ideal, complementary relationship--most effectively exhibited in Mozart's opera-style motet Ergo interest . . .Quaere superna, which alone is worth the price of the disc. The CBC Orchestra is a pretty decent ensemble, but Labadie encourages exceptional precision (listen to those perfectly phrased--and very tricky--voice/orchestra dialogues in the Schubert Salve Regina, for example), warm, singing string tone, and excellent balances from top to bottom. Strangely, while the symphony shows remarkable clarity and detail, there's a prevailing weightiness both to the sound and rhythmic feel--not in evidence elsewhere on the program--that pulls against the music's momentum and reins in the more free-spirited aspects of its character. The rating, then, is specifically for the Gauvin selections. The CBC engineers and Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre provide a sonic environment that couldn't be better for these performers or this repertoire. Gauvin is simply wonderful--don't miss the chance to hear what I mean. [12/20/2001]