Many composers, for me, are very much hit-or-miss. Some works move me deeply, with others leaving me cold or indifferent. A good example of this is Schnittke, widely regarded as one of the more influential post-war Soviet/Russian composers. Many of his works bore me, but occasionally there are some real gems. Case in point, this month's CCM, the Penitential Psalms. This stirring, major work (clocking in at about 45 minutes) is really brilliant in its emotional scope and effective use of the a cappella choir. Schnittke's persistent use of humming to add texture, and his occasional use of singers well out of their normal tessiture, add to the palette considerably. The last movement, incidentally, is completely wordless humming.