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The addition of a brass ensemble to Christmas concerts and carol services, combining with the more traditional sounds of choir and organ, has become increasingly popular in recent years. This recording brings together a number of works for the specific forces of choir, brass quintet, organ and percussion, some of which have been arranged specially for this release. Interspersed amongst these works are a selection of popular Christmas carols which have formed and integral part of Winchester College Chapel Choir’s core repertoire for many years. Winchester College was founded by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, in 1382, and Winchester College Quiristers have for over 625 years sung services in Winchester College Chapel. In modem times they have formed a choir renowned for its excellence. Having celebrated its 25th anniversary in the 2017-18 season, Onyx Brass continues to be the leading light in establishing the brass quintet as a medium for serious chamber music, inspired by the pioneering early years of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. To this end, the group has commissioned and performed the world premières of over 200 new works, with many more in the pipeline for performance and recording. All downloads include booklets. -
Armonico Consort return to Signum with a collection of Handel arias, performed by leading counter-tenor William Towers. A noted soloist in both opera and oratorio, the programme is taken from roles which Towers has sung across his career in various productions across the globe. Towers writes: “It is the life-affirming, live-giving aspect of Handel that I’m aiming to celebrate. So frequently his operas reveal their most devastatingly beautiful and uplifting music when life is at its darkest. Here the arias shine brightest, here we find Radamisto’s ‘Ombra cara’ and the boundlessly optimistic ‘Dopo l’orrore’, looking out beyond the darkest clouds to the faint glimmer of a dawning hope. This is the uncrushable, indomitable spirit that lies in all of us ... We just need to take the time to listen.” -
Julian Bliss and James Baillieu present a recording Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet sonatas, Op. 120 and an arrangement of his 4 Ernste Gesänge, Op.121 arranged by Bliss. These late works were inspired by the great clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, principal clarinet of the Meiningen Court Orchestra, without whom we would not have had this clarinet repertoire. Julian Bliss is one of the world’s finest clarinettists, excelling as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, jazz artist, masterclass leader and tireless musical explorer. He has inspired a generation of young players as creator of his Conn-Selmer range of affordable clarinets, and introduced a substantial new audience to his instrument. Julian started playing the clarinet aged four, going on to study at the University of Indiana and in Germany under Sabine Meyer, turning professional aged twelve. Described by The Daily Telegraph as ‘in a class of his own’ James Baillieu is one of the leading song and chamber music pianists of his generation. He has given solo and chamber recitals throughout the world and collaborates with a wide range of world-class singers and instrumentalists. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Ulster Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, and the Wiener Kammersymphonie. -
Signum proudly presents Lapwood’s debut solo organ recording following her critically-acclaimed debut choral recording, All things are quite silent, with The Choirs of Pembroke College, Cambridge. This luxurious programme, including some of Lapwood’s world-premiere arrangements, showcases the softer, more subtle side of an instrument more generally regarded for its bombastic nature. “One of my favourite things about being an organist is the exquisite feeling of practising in a church or cathedral late at night. The door is locked, the lights are often out, and time seems to flow differently. It’s at night that one really gains a sense of the history of the building, getting to know the creaking noises and clicks that make it seem as if the space is breathing. Sound seems to travel differently too, piercing the warm cushion of dark silence like a beam of light. On this disc I’ve tried to capture some of that magic, recording in a chilly Ely Cathedral after hours in January 2021.” Anna Lapwood Anna Lapwood is an organist, conductor, and broadcaster, and holds the position of Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Lapwood recently presented the 2020 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and is due to perfom at the BBC Proms on 7th September 2021 as well as presenting part of the Proms on BBC TV. ★★★★★ "Rising star Anna Lapwood's debut solo recital confirms the hype surrounding this impressive young musician. Her impeccably crafted programme is designed to emphasise the "subtle beauty" of Ely Cathedral's Harrison and Harrison's softer qualities…Pieces by Patrick Gowers, Kerensa Briggs and Cheryl Frances-Hoad boost their own attractions in an atmospheric recording backed by Lapwood's fine booklet notes" - Choir and Organ Magazine "The idea of a voluntary… is gentler than one might expect: but there is also swirling virtuosity here in Lapwood's superb performance…A wonderful disc" - Classical Explorer★★★★ Performance, ★★★★ Recording "This debut solo album brilliantly played by the rising young organist Anna Lapwood should certainly engage organ aficionados, especially fans of the grand Harrison & Harrison instrument in Ely Cathedral" - BBC Music Magazine
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Their fourth release on Signum Classics, the “engaging” (New Yorker) men’s vocal ensemble Cantus present a collection of songs conveying the connectedness and isolation created through the use of technology both during and beyond the Covid pandemic, and the mental health impact on society as a result. “Alone Together has taken on a whole new context and meaning since March 2020. This album is a journey that reflects upon isolation and connectedness in our world. We hope that you find moments for beauty and introspection, both familiar and new” Booklet Texts -
The King's Singers mark Valentine's Day with a collection featuring some of the world's finest love songs – from classics of the Great American songbook including the Gershwins' 'Love is Here To Stay' and Kern's 'I Won't Dance' through to recent hits such as John Legend's 'All of Me' and Randy Newman's 'When She Loved Me'. Performance ★★★★ Recording ★★★★ Richard Rodney Bennett's exquisite arrangement of Gershwin's 'Love is Here to Stay' stands out... beautifully performed and with an appealing blend of popular hits and more unusual fare, this disc makes for an uplifting listen - BBC Music Magazine -
Above the opening notes of The Protecting Veil, John Tavener wrote Transcendent With Awesome Majesty, communicating the scale of this universal, timeless, structurally perfect and emotionally powerful work. In the composer’s words, “the cello represents The Mother of God and never stops singing.” Indeed, the cello sings without stopping for the entire 46 minutes of the piece, requiring huge mental and physical stamina. Matthew Barley leads Sinfonietta Rīga in this exploration of Tavener’s musical works and inspirations, interspersing performances with readings of WB Yeats and Frithjof Schuon by renowned actors Julie Christieand Olwyn Fouéré. The influence Tavener drew from Indian music in The Protecting Veil is also explored further in Barley’s performance with tabla player Sukhvinder ‘Pinky’ Singh in The Song of Separation and Waiting by Pandit Sultan Khan. Matthew Barley is known internationally as a cellist, improviser, arranger, music animateur, and as Artistic Director of Between The Notes. His musical world is focused on projects that connect people in different ways, blurring the boundaries that never really existed between genres and people. Editors Choice "The opening poetry sets the tone - intimate, achingly personal - that pervades Matthew Barley's beautiful recording of one of the later 20th century's most beloved and moving works…I recommend this utterly beautiful and originally framed version unreservedly" - Gramophone "[Barley] creating a mesmeric and nicely moving performance…Hi splaying in the Nativity and Dormition movements is especially tender, and his gentle swoops down the instrument are exquisite…[Sinfonietta Riga] creates just the right luminous, warmly resonant sound for this work, aided by a rick and detailed recorded sound" - The Strad "I suspect those who come across the work for the first time via this latest release, will not find another performance out there which would give them quite the same feeling of intensity and spiritual uplift. Add to that Barley's own remarkably insightful booklet notes and a ravishing recording from Signum Classics, and you have something very special indeed" - Musicweb International "Barley captures the intimacy and emotion of the music. Add in fine engineering work from Signum…you have a superior Tavener release" - AllMusic.com "Matthew Barley puts in such a commenable performance whole simultaneously directing the excellent Sinfonietta Riga makes this recording particularly noteworthy" - Cross Rhythms -
English composer Will Todd is well known for his beautiful and exciting music. His work encompasses choral works large and small, opera, musical theatre and orchestral pieces, as well as jazz compositions and chamber works. His anthem, The Call of Wisdom, was performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations with a TV audience of 45 million people. His breakthrough work, Mass in Blue (originally titled Jazz Mass), has been performed hundreds of times all over the world. His arrangement of Amazing Grace was performed at President Obama’s Inauguration Day prayer service in 2013 and as part of the BBC’s Nelson Mandela Thanksgiving Service. This CD celebrates the work of the Bach Choir’s amazing outreach project with local schools, which culminated in 2016 with the new commission Lights, Stories, Noise, Dreams, Love and Noodles with words celebrated poet Michael Rosen. Other works on the disc include Will Todd’s vibrant settings of Shakespeare for choir and orchestra Songs of Magical Creatures, and a work in memory of Mark Blanco Kites, Cards and Constellations. All downloads include booklets. -
Voce Chamber Choir’s new disc is a moving tribute to Sir John Tavener, featuring a selection of works by him (many of which are previously unrecorded) and by Roxanna Panufnik. At the heart of the disc is the premiere recording of Panufnik’s 99 Words to my Darling Children, a moving setting of Tavener’s last message to his family. As well as the Voce Chamber Choir, the disc features performances from cellist Matthew Barley, organist James Sherlock and narration from Simon Russell Beale. ★★★★★ Voce Chamber Choir offer a well-balanced sound with a polished sheen to their singing. An unusual and most welcome disc - Choir and Organ The result – a lullaby that cradles its sung text with infinite tenderness – is exquisite, and beautifully handled… a strong, and very welcome, first outing - Gramophone It’s a really lovely programme… lovely moment of connection between the two, a lovely homage - BBC Radio 3 -
Composer Paul Reade died 25 years ago and this year marks his 80th birthday. He was well-known for his music for television such as Play School, Antiques Road Show and The Victorian Kitchen Garden series but less familiar are the wonderful works on this beautifully compiled album. The evocative Flute Concerto and a new version of Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite arranged for flute are played by Philippa Davies with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robin O‘Neill. Decca artist Pumeza Matshikiza is the soloist in the orchestral song cycle Chants du Roussillon and the Song of the Birds. Laurence Perkins is the bassoonist in the last piece Paul ever wrote, Catalonia, a one movement bassoon concerto. Also included is the Serenata for wind sextet played by London Winds. Except for the Chants du Roussillon, these are all world premiere recordings. ★★★★★ "This celebration is long overdue...utterly gorgeous" - BBC Music Magazine "This souvenir of the Liverpudlian composer Paul Reade represents one of a generation after generation of melody-smiths... The disc spreads before us leading examples of his kindly lyricism. It’s music that is easily assimilated and easily enjoyed...Very engaging sound distinguishes this recording, as is the case throughout the CD" - Musicweb International -
The juxtaposition of old and new which lies at the heart of much Christmas music lends this recording by the mixed-voice Choir of The Queen’s College Oxford its theme. The repertoire ranges in period from Hildegard of Bingen to pieces composed during the last few years. The central work – Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols – vividly encapsulates the intersection of ancient and modern, setting medieval and Renaissance texts, and drawing on plainchant as musical inspiration, while – in its series of fresh, vivid, and sharply-etched miniatures – eschewing the sentimentality which had become attached to Christmas and its music. Three centuries earlier, such combinations of old and new were just as apparent in the vast Christmas output of Michael Praetorius, the principal Lutheran composer of his age. Through works ranging from dramatic double-choir settings to the simplest harmonisations of chorales, this recording explores Praetorius as transmitter of older Christmas texts and and melodies. The links between Praetorius’s time and ours are represented in the pairing of Praetorius’s Es ist ein Ros entsprungen and David Blackwell’s exquisite reimagining of the same carol, Lo how a rose e’er blooming. An Advent chant forms the basis of Judith Weir’s haunting Look down ye heavens from above which opens the recording, while Cecilia McDowall’s Now may we singen perfectly captures the exuberance of its medieval text and Jonathan Dove’s The Three Kings evokes the strangeness of Dorothy L. Sayers’s transformation of the story of the Magi. All downloads include booklets -
A leading light in the world of youth choral music, the Rodolfus Choir is made up of choristers from ages 16-25 who are past and present participants of the Eton Choral Courses, begun by the choir's director Ralph Allwood in 1980. This new Christmas programme mixes the familiar with works not usually heard in carol services – such as Tomas Luis de Victoria's stunning eight-part, two-choir Ave Maria (from an edition prepared by John Rutter), and more recent works such as Chris Chivers' Ecce Puer and Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque. Such a programme is well-suited to a choir with the versatility and enthusiasm of the Rodolfus choir. [The choir’s] discipline and diction throughout a testing programme is exemplary - The Daily Mail Beautifully sung - The Daily Telegraph The freshness of attack you get with younger voices is put to incisive use by conductor Ralph Allwood, whose Rodolfus singers are all products of the famous Eton choral courses - BBC Music MagazineThe sweet/sour harmonies of Warlock's Bethlehem Down are so deliciously balanced that it is difficult not to leap up from the fireside and press the backtrack button to hear this magical performance over and over again - International Record Review -
An album of newly recorded works for Christmas by rising star composer Kristina Arakelyan. This is the first recording by the Choir of King’s College London, conducted by Joseph Fort on Signum Records. “While preparing this album, I have been struck by many aspects of Kristina’s music, and have talked with her about it at length... She approaches the compositional task as an exercise in conveying this emotion and stirring it in her listeners, and I hope that this comes through in our performances” - Joseph Fort "This is a breathtakingly good selection in which we hear the influence of modal chants and Armenian church traditions fused with an English choral blend" - Gramophone -
"A House of Ghosts is a sequence of a dozen short pieces concerned with the past, whether imagined, historical or (as in the case of the final piece) autobiographical. These movements are combined here with freestanding longer items, where sea music (Farewell to Hirta and Hunt's Bay) is mixed with explorations of elusive memory (Le Temps qui n'est plus and Drowned Summer). Gently distinctive in its harmonic and tonal language, this music is the work of a professional pianist-composer with a refined and subtle insight into the physical and textural properties of the instrument." - Duncan Honeybourne “Definitely worth exploring” - International Piano -
The Temple Church Choir gives the world premiere recording of Nico Muhly’s Our present charter – a brand new four-movement work commissioned by the choir to celebrate 800 years since the sealing of the Magna Carta. Directed by Roger Sayer and featuring organist Greg Morris, the recording also features choral works by Parry, Vaughan Williams, Walton, Bairstow, Tavener and Haydn.
★★★★★ Sensitive interpretations enhance the excellence of the singing... Highly Reccomended - Choir & Organ ★★★★ Under their new director Roger Sayer the choir is obviously on strong form - Planet Hugill These superb recordings serve as sonorous reminders of the British choral tradition and its vibrant contemporary life - Opera News -
To mark the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth, Ivana Gavrić releases a little amuse-bouche: Ravel's short waltz in the manner of Borodin, one of his favourite composers. Despite its brevity, it is as if À la manière de Borodine takes us on a whirlwind spin around the clubs in Paris Ravel frequented nightly; it beautifully captures much of Ravel’s spirit, his love for dance, especially the waltz. Ravel reportedly believed that every composer secretly wished they could write an excellent waltz, but most were put off by the difficulty and the wealth of enviable examples already in the repertoire.
Stream here: https://lnk.to/IvanaRavel -
Following their debut EP Serenity, Meridian and Irene Messoloras return to Signum Classics with their first holiday release—A Meridian Christmas. Recorded at All Hallows Gospel Oak, London, this enchanting Christmas collection captures the spirit of the season with warmth, clarity, and elegance. Shaped by Meridian’s signature blend, the album offers a soundscape of carols and seasonal works that is both intimate and classic. From Ben Parry’s tender All Through the Night to Carol Jennings’s cheerful Ding Dong! Merrily on High and Ola Gjeilo’s festive The Holly and the Ivy, each piece captures a distinctive mood of the season. The program further features Paul Manz’s E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come, offering a moment of quiet yearning and hope, and A Great and Mighty Wonder arranged by Erling Pederson, resounding in radiant proclamation. Together, these works trace the season’s arc—from quiet reflection to joyful celebration. Meridian Meridian is a London-based professional chamber choir founded and directed by Irene Messoloras. With a sound defined by clarity, balance, and expressive depth, the ensemble brings together early and contemporary repertoire to create a richly contemplative musical experience. Meridian’s members are drawn from outstanding ensemble backgrounds such as Tenebrae, the Monteverdi Choir, and The Sixteen. This combination weaves together a broad variety of choral experience, giving the choir an exceptional range of vocal power and colour. Irene Messoloras Irene Messoloras is an award-winning conductor dedicated to inspiring musicians and audiences through excellence in choral performance. Based in Southern California, she leads professional, university, and community ensembles on renowned stages worldwide. "A Meridian Christmas is a solid programme of favourite carols in attractive arrangements." - Gramophone -
Signum’s second disc with the Choir of the Queen’s College Oxford is centred around the concept of ‘relevation’, both divine revelation (particularly the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Revelation) and revelatory visions of earth and heaven. The bulk of the pieces on the recording are inspired by the extraordinary visions of John, the writer of the Book of Revelation, describing the ravaging of the world through divine judgement, the battles between good and evil, and the world’s eventual remaking as ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ in which death and suffering are no more. The disc features three new commissions, by Phillip Cooke, Toby Young and Marco Galvani, who was a final-year student at Queen’s at the time of recording. -
The Gabrieli Consort and Players return to the programme that put them on the musical map when it was originally recorded and released in 1990: A Venetian Coronation 1595 is a musical re-creation evoking the grand pageantry of the Coronation Mass for Venetian Doge Marino Grimani. His love of ceremony and state festivals fuelled an extraordinary musical bounty during his reign and formed the background to the musical riches of the period, especially to the works of Giovanni Gabrieli. With cornetts, sackbuts and an all-male consort, Paul McCreesh fully exploits the dazzling polyphony of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli’s music and captivates the audience in a theatrical and ceremonious performance. Two decades later, the Gabrieli's New Venetian Coronation takes advantage of huge developments in early instruments, performance techniques and research into the pieces that were on the original (as well as advances in recording techniques). Even if you own the classic Virgin disc, this new version is a must-buy - The Sunday Times Never less than enthralling - The Independent McCreesh's new take on his classic recording is a triumph … Highly recommended to both first- and second-time buyers, and on track to inspire yet another generation - BBC Radio 3 Record Review -
Returning for their third album on Signum Classics, Anna Lapwood and The Choirs of Pembroke College, Cambridge present their first Christmas album featuring a wide range of festive repertoire from traditional carols to works by contemporary composers including Sir James MacMillan and Melissa Dunphy. In addition the album premieres three new works written by the Pembroke Girls' Choir including an arrangement of the familiar carol Gaudete. Anna Lapwood is a trailblazing musician. Alongside her work as a conductor, Director of Music and public speaker, she performs an extensive number of organ recitals on some of the greatest instruments across Europe each season. In 2022 she was announced as Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall and Artist in Association at BBC Singers. Directed by Anna Lapwood, The Chapel Choir of Pembroke College has one of the most exciting and varied ranges of choral endeavours among Oxbridge choirs. Alongside their primary responsibility of contributing to worship in the College’s Chapel, they engage in regular artistic collaborations, media appearances and outreach. ★★★★ "Highlights include a numinous take on MacMillan's 'O Radiant Dawn', Ailsa McTernan's soaring solo in Patricia Van Ness's 'Archangelus' and a performance of Kerensa Brigg's 'A Tender Shoot' which shows the Chapel Choir's vibrant tonal blend and intelligent enunciation at their best…an inspiring recital" - BBC Music Magazine "In the latest recording released on Signum by Anna Lapwood and the Chapel Choir of Pembroke College, Cambridge, the soft smooth sounds of the central chorus combined with the crystal clear lines of the upper voices makes for a reflective experience. I’ve listened to it repeatedly over the past few days" - Thoroughly Good "What makes this album unique is a trio of carol arrangements developed in rehearsal by the choristers themselves" - Gramophone -
“Percussionist extraordinaire Joby Burgess” returns with his fifth album on Signum Records, “A Percussionist’s Songbook” – a collection of specially commissioned ‘songs without words’ from John Metcalfe, Tunde Jegede, Dario Marianelli, Yazz Ahmed, Graham Fitkin, Dobrinka Tabakova and Gabriel Prokofiev. Scored for an arsenal of pitched percussion and electronics the songbook is inspired by texts ranging from the poetry of Robert Graves and Birago Diop to novels by Michael Ondaatje and Isaac Asimov; American philosopher Michael Sandel, songwriter Peter Gabriel, United Nation population growth statistics and Saudi Arabian folk tales. "His recordings are so full of vibrant energy, vitality and freshness…the virtuoso percussionist's technical brilliance, fantastic agility and coordination, and innate musicality. 'A Percussionist's Songbook' may well be Burgess's best album yet" - Gramophone ★★★★ Performance, ★★★★★ Recording "Combining a multi-genre passion for contemporary western music with explorations of ancient global traditions, Joby Burgess has done much to foster the art of percussion" - BBC Music Magazine "A fascinating record with wide-ranging ambition and, surely, mass appeal. Joby Burgess has created a release for classical label Signum that could sit equally comfortably in the rock or ‘world’ genres, such are its broad range of influences and audible sense of adventure…Warmly recommended." Art Muse London -
Signum Classics present a new digital only album of works by award winning composer Joanna Marsh – A Plastic Theatre and other choral works. A Plastic Theatre takes its name from a theatrical text written by Katie Schaag that Joanna has set for a commission for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Youth Company in 2023: a 20-minute work for the orchestra, mezzo soloist Jennifer Johnston and the RLPO Youth Choir and Children’s Choir. The live World Premiere performance of this work is the centrepiece of this album which also provides an opportunity to feature some of her recent commissions written for I Fagiolini in 2021. Their four pieces were commissioned for a programme called, Rewilding the Wasteland which thanks to renowned ensemble VOCES8, who hosted an online concert series during the Covid pandemic, was widely viewed globally. VOCES8 also join forces with I Fagiolini in one of these tracks, Now I Lay. The Lyons Mouth bring a fresh and vibrant quality to some of Marsh’s newest works that are receiving their recording premieres on this album including Ivor Novello Composer Award winning work, All Shall Be Well. “It is a joy to share this collection of my latest works with you, and I hope you find as much pleasure in listening to them as I found in creating them” – Joanna Marsh -
Mixing iconic choral works with music by some of today’s most exciting composers, this varied programme is centred around themes of rest. Joel Thompson’s virtuosic new work is a particular highlight: written in 15 parts, A Prayer for Deliverance perfectly showcases Tenebrae’s core values of passion and precision. The second half features Herbert Howells’ Requiem – surely one of the most moving works in the English choral repertoire. Associated with the untimely death of Howells’ young son Michael, the work remained unknown until it was finally published just three years before Howells’ own death in 1983. ★★★★★ - “This latest recording once again showcases his singer’s effortless versatility both as choristers and soloists, with a capella singing that is precise yet never precious, highly disciplined yet unaffected and warm” - BBC Music Magazine“This is one of the best new choral discs that has come my way for quite some time.” - Music Week International
“The quality of the a cappella singing on this set by the renowned choir Tenebrae is truly superlative in all departments” - Cross Rhythms "In this recording, the voices of the Tenebrae choir offer more poignant interpretations, characterised by a reading marked by restraint, intensity and a deep respect for the text and music." - Sonograma -
An invitation to stroll through the world of one of England’s greatest composers The young, virtuoso A Cappella ensemble VOCES8 return to disc on Signum with a sumptuous collection of early works by Henry Purcell. Joined by the specialist early-music ensemble ‘Les Inventions’, the group explores Purcell’s astoundingly diverse output – there is hardly a genre in which he did not express himself: anthems, odes, funeral music, semi- operas, masques, sonatas, consort-music, songs and catches populate his extraordinarily multifaceted œuvre. It is this astonishing diversity that we wish to celebrate by inviting the listener for a stroll through the world of one of England’s greatest composers.If anyone ever doubts Purcell's consummate genius, this CD - beautifully recorded and executed - ought to convince them. A great introduction to Purcell's many guises - Choir and Organ
You won't hear Purcell sung better - Planet Hugill
This is a lovely collection, reflective of the composer's eclectic talents, and beautifully performed - Early Music Review
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Paul McCreesh leads the Gabrieli Consort in a collection of works that explores the diverse and extensive body of works dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary over the centuries. Music by Tallis, MacMillan, Howells and Leighton frames the world premiere of a new work by the young British composer, Matthew Martin: a setting of the Magnificat, interpolated with verses from the atmospheric medieval poem ‘There is no rose’.
Gabrieli are world-renowned interpreters of great vocal and instrumental repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Formed as an early music ensemble by Paul McCreesh in 1982, Gabrieli has both outgrown and remained true to its original identity through its live performances and award-winning recordings for their Winged Lion label.
Limelight's Vocal Recording of 2018 ★★★★★ Choir and Organ Another winner from the Gabrieli’s… this CD is thoroughly to be recommended - Cathedral Music Magazine The Gabrieli Consort, under McCreesh, give an outstanding performance that is caught in superb sound by the Signum engineers - iClassical Excellent recorded sound sets the seal on another outstanding issue from this outstanding team - BBC Music Magazine another triumph, helped by the wonderful acoustic of Romsey Abbey, captured with typical skill by the expert engineers of Signum - MusicWeb International -
The complete collection of Llŷr Williams' Schubert series - previously released as individual volumes over the last year. These recordings were made following a recital series by Williams featuring the piano music of Schubert. This recording showcases the detailed examination given by Williams to these pieces, which is "warm, yet detailed" (Piano International). Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams is widely admired for his profound musical intelligence and the expressive and communicative nature of his interpretations. He has worked with orchestras including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, I Pomeriggi Musicali, Meininger Hofkapelle, Berner Kammerorchester, and the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg. A regular performer in the Wigmore Hall’s main piano series, Williams has also appeared at the BBC Proms in London, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in the USA, Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse and the Edinburgh International Festival. He is a regular performer at the East Neuk Festival in Scotland and is currently Artist-in-Association at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Artist-in-Residence at the Cowbridge Festival in Wales. -
Tenebrae join the Aurora Orchestra with mezzo soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and narrator Simon Callow for ‘A Walk with Ivor Gurney’, an album of choral music celebrating the works of Ivor Gurney whose promising career as a composer was interrupted by World War I. Alongside four pieces of Gurney’s own music are works by his contemporaries, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells. The recording features a new piece by Judith Bingham commissioned by Tenebrae in 2013 for the choir with Dame Sarah Connolly.
★★★★★ The Mail Online
Performance ★★★★ Recording ★★★★ Beautifully sung by Nigel Short's Tenebrae - BBC Music Magazine Orchestra and wordless choir combining to ravishing effect - The Arts DeskNigel Short’s peerless Tenebrae singers, backed by the Aurora Orchestra, offer nothing but sorrowful beauty and multiple reasons to give thanks - The Times
A nourishing, thoughtfully compiled release - Gramophone The remarkably imaginative concept of this release reveals Signum as a most innovative company - Cathedral Music The orchestra marvellously supportive and Tenebrae exemplary - Classical Source [Dame Sarah Connolly] brings a great warmth here, vocally but also in terms of her response to the poetry - BBC Radio 3 Record Review Throughout this disc the singing of Tenebrae confirms their stature as one of the UK’s premier chamber choirs […] Tenebrae have done the memory of Ivor Gurney proud - MusicWeb International -
Winner of the 2002 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, 1998 Pulitzer Prize, and 2011 Nemmers Award, Aaron Jay Kernis is one of America’s most honoured composers. His music appears prominently on concert programs worldwide, and he has been commissioned by America’s preeminent performing organizations and artists, including the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco, Toronto, and Melbourne (AU) Symphonies. The Viola Concerto – composer for the soloist Paul Neubauer – was in its first instance inspired and informed by the viola music of Robert and Clara Schumann, but takes on a number of other influences. Taking the performers own interest in folk music as an influence too, the final movement A Song My Mother Taught Me is based on the well-known Yiddish song Tumbalalaika. Dreamsongs also follows folk influences, following inspiration from sources including aboriginal ‘dreamsongs’ and the West African djembe drum. A virtuosic work, it was developed in collaboration with the cellist Joshua Roman who features as soloist in this recording. Conductor Rebecca Miller leads the Royal Northern Sinfonia in the final work Concerto with Echoes, inspired by the Sixth Brandenburg Concerto, and in the composer’s own words “...comes from its very first measure — the opening passage with two spiralling solo violas, like identical twins following each other breathlessly through a hall of mirrors ... this concerto mirrors the Sixth by using only violas, celli and basses, while gradually adding reeds and horns into a loop back to the sound world of the First Brandenburg Concerto.” -
Huw William’s leads the choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal in a festive new recording of Christmas carols old and new from St James’s Palace, London. -
The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge’s advent service is a staple of the British choral world, and is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 almost every year. The service features much-loved favourites from the festive season alongside a variety of new works commissioned especially for the event. This disc of live recordings features performances by the choir from their four most recent services from 2014-17. ★★★★ This superbly programmed collection will take your Advent listening in unexpected, but entirely apposite, directions - BBC Music Magazine The choir has retained its renowned clarity, flamboyance and readiness to take risks - The Guardian This disc gives a very good flavour of the excellent Advent music one can hear at St John’s - MusicWeb International -
“This traditional Japanese song is about a young child watching a red dragonfly sitting on their older sister’s shoulder at sunset. This beautiful new arrangement by Bob Chilcott was written especially for tenor Julian Gregory and myself” - Grace Davidson -
Norwegian boy-soprano Aksel Rykkvin has quickly built a reputation as a rare talent, combining an intelligent musicality with a beautifully resonant treble voice. On his debut recording he is accompanied by The Orchestra of the Age on Enlightenment under Nigel Short (leader of award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae), in a selection of arias by Mozart, Handel and JS Bach. Many of the arias performed are considered too technically demanding for boy singers in the present day – in particular Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate which was composed for the castrato Venunzio Rauzzini, and several of Bach’s Cantatas which were written at a time when singers often maintained their treble voices until the ages of 16 or 17. Freakishly good, with a musical assurance and richness of tone that are almost superhuman - Financial Times Widely praised for his richness of tone and instinctive, innate musicality - BBC Music Magazine It's a remarkable performance - pure, technically perfect and hauntingly beautiful - Classic FM This is totally extraordinary. For the sheer joy in performing, this CD would be hard to beat - Cathedral Music Magazine -
Alessio Bax returns to disc on Signum with two masterworks of Beethoven’s piano repertoire, as well as a new arrangement from Die Ruinen von Athen. Pianist Alessio Bax creates “a ravishing listening experience” (Gramophone) with his lyrical playing, insightful interpretations, and dazzling facility. First Prize winner at the Leeds and Hamamatsu international piano competitions – and a 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient – he has appeared as soloist with over 100 orchestras. Editor's Choice: Finely recorded, Alessio Bax is clearly among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public - Gramophone Highly recommended - Classical Ear -
Pianist Alessio Bax creates “a ravishing listening experience” with his lyrical playing, insightful interpretations, and dazzling facility. “His playing quivers with an almost hypnotic intensity,” says Gramophone magazine, leading to what Dallas Morning News calls “an out-of-body experience.” For his latest solo recording with Signum, Alessio Bax returns with a programme of rich and evocative works for piano by Modest Mussorgsky and Alexander Scriabin. ★★★★★ Brilliantly Delivered - New Zealand Herald An exemplary clarity and musicianship - Gramophone A massively enjoyable disc - Music Web International Bax guides us through the familiar catalogue with plenty of skill - Sinfini Music -
Anna Lapwood is a trailblazing musician. As a broadcaster she is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 3 and hosts a live, weekly classical music show on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. This year she makes her TV presenting debut, hosting BBC Four’s coverage of BBC Young Musician 2020. Alongside her work as a conductor, Director of Music and public speaker, she performs an extensive number of organ recitals on some of the greatest instruments across Europe each season. Directed by Anna Lapwood, The Chapel Choir of Pembroke College has one of the most exciting and varied ranges of choral endeavours among Oxbridge choirs. Alongside their primary responsibility of contributing to worship in the College’s Chapel, they engage in regular artistic collaborations, media appearances and outreach work. The Pembroke College Girls’ Choir was founded in October 2018 and has quickly gained a reputation as one of the UK’s leading girls’ choirs. Made up of 18 girls aged 11–18, the Choir sings twice a week in the College Chapel, as well as regularly singing alongside the Chapel Choir. This album is the first commercial release for these choirs and Anna Lapwood as a conductor. It is a recording of some of the Choirs’ favourite music, some of which happens to have been written by women and some by men. It is the hope of all involved that the music on the record becomes more well-known and is performed more throughout the UK and worldwide. All downloads include booklets. ★★★★★ "Anna Lapwood draws from her youthful forces well-judged readings that are characterised by evenness of tone and genuine beauty of sound" - Choir and Organ ''…There's real control evident in the blend (built upwards from some impressive low basses) and tuning… it showcases the choir brilliantly and smuggles a lot of contemporary music on to a recording with real mainstream appeal." - Gramophone “[Mathew Martin’s Iustorum Animae] The Chapel Choir sings it really well. They’re equally successful in Jonathan Dove’s lovely Into Thy Hands, giving a polished performance. Tavener’s Mother of God is a simple, rapt piece which here receives a dedicated performance...I enjoyed this disc very much. Anna Lapwood has clearly trained her choirs expertly and in these performances, they are very responsive to her direction. The choral sound is fresh, light and clear. The singing is accomplished and the diction clear...The production side of this disc was in the expert hands of Adrian Peacock (producer) and David Hinitt (engineer). They have captured the sound of the choirs very nicely” - Musicweb International “The singing is excellent throughout, by both the girls’ choir and the mixed chapel ensemble. Intonation, ensemble technique, and balances, especially bass/soprano in the mixed choir, are a joy to experience...Lapwood’s detailed liner notes complete this strongly recommended package” - Classics Today -
This new collection of my choral music features recent commissions from choirs near and far. The overall theme of the album is one of hope but also concern for our relationship with living things and the planet we inhabit. Thus, in Earthificat I have based a new secular, environmental text on the words and structure of The Magnificat and in Renew Me In The Sunlight the words ask for strength to move forward in balance with nature. There is a movement, Reverence from my secular mass m=pV, a work about our stewardship of nature and our place within the universe and a setting of some beautiful words by the great ‘nature poet’ William Wordsworth. Alongside this are Christmas settings and other choral songs. The timbres weave between my more classical ‘a cappella and strings’ texture, towards a more jazz inflected sound world in tracks such as On This Night and Let All The People Praise You. I have worked many times with the inspirational Newcastle-based choir Voices of Hope who won BBC Choir of The Year in 2016 and who have continued to grow in vocal magic and audience since that time. It’s been a joy to work with them and their choir director Mark Edwards alongside my own ensemble and string players from The Alina Orchestra. "A welcome addition for fans of Todd's music" - BBC Music Magazine -
Viol consort Fretwork and mezzo soprano Helen Charlston explore the more reflective and sombre Christmas celebrations of Elizabethan England, in a collection of works by William Byrd, Anthony Holborne, Orlando Gibbons and Martin Peerson. With celebrations confined strictly to the 12 days from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, the preceding Advent was regarded as a time of religious introspection, with music composed to mark both fasting and feasting. Byrd’s consort songs for voice and 5 viols encompass this range, from the joyous Out of the Orient Crystal Skies – ending with an exuberant ‘Falantidingdido’, a word whose meaning is lost to history – to his Lullaby, a ‘song of sadnes and pietie’ that became one of Byrd’s most enduringly famous songs. In 2021, Fretwork celebrates its 35th anniversary. In the past three and a half decades they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. In addition to this, Fretwork have become known as pioneers of contemporary music for viols, having commissioned over 40 new works. Acclaimed for her musical interpretation, presence and “warmly distinctive tone” (The Telegraph), Helen Charlston is quickly cementing herself as a key performer in the next generation of British singers. Helen won first prize in the 2018 Handel Singing Competition and was a finalist in the Hurn Court Opera Competition, and the Grange Festival International Singing Competition. ★★★★ "Tracks like Byrd's 'Out of the Orient Crystal Skies' and Weelkes's 'To shorten Winter's Sadnesse' show voice and instruments interweaving in seamless expressivity…All are played with Fretwork's typical attunement to the sensibilities of the Elizabethan period" - BBC Music Magazine "This is music embracing, tender and loving…This is the Christmas disc I'll be asking Santa for a hard copy of this December" - Gramophone's The Christmas List ★★★★ "Festive viol pieces and consort songs from Tudor and Stuart winter celebrations offer moments for both contemplation and rejoicing…The songs are beautifully delivered by the mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, who sings with firm yet confiding tone…There’s a feeling of consolation here that you can hunker down with, however you’re feeling about the festive season this year" - The Guardian -
The four coronations of the twentieth century were enormous and extravagant. Replete with festive pageantry, these ceremonies were joyful celebrations of British music, employing tremendous forces. Choirs from across London and beyond were marshalled to provide a chorus of over 400 voices; a full-size symphony orchestra was squeezed into Westminster Abbey, whilst bands of fanfare trumpeters led the pomp and celebration. In the imposing surroundings of Ely Cathedral, Paul McCreesh and Gabrieli bring the history, ceremony and liturgy of these extraordinary events to life. With his renowned creative flair, McCreesh’s painstaking research provides the springboard for their latest ground-breaking recreation project. The result is a joyful celebration of five centuries of choral music, performed with the same vast forces as were heard at the coronation services. Alongside an orchestra of rare early-twentieth century instruments, an extended Gabrieli Consort is amplified by the energetic sound and fresh faces of several hundred young singers from Gabrieli’s choral training programme Gabrieli Roar. The music is interspersed by the coronation liturgy, with Simon Russell Beale speaking the part of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Performance ★★★★ Recording★★★★★ McCreesh at his considerable best - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★★ Paul McCreesh has magnificently recreated this unique coronation rite... truly heart-warming - Choir & Organ ★★★★★ An astonishing recording - The Times ★★★★★ McCreesh has conceived and executed a magnificent project - Classical Source ★★★★★ Palpable enthusiasm and engagement - Planet Hugill One can imagine the virtuosity required by every contributor, at every turn, to make this a reality, let alone a dazzling triumph - Gramophone A most recommendable treat - MusicWeb International This is something very special - Cross Rhythms One of my favourite albums of the last few years - Scala Radio -
The latest release from renowned period ensemble La Serenissima celebrates the life and work of Nicola Matteis the Younger. Born in London to an Italian father and English mother, Matteis was immersed in the style of Henry Purcell before leaving England in 1700 for the Imperial Court in Vienna. All of the music on the album is – rather fortuitously – Carolean; either written for Charles II of England, or for (or in the realm of) Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. It is all too easy to think that the English style and English musicians were unknown on the continent in the early C18, but this selection of music shows that this wasn’t (always) the case. There are some cracking dances and dance suites featured here as well as a ravishingly beautiful Vivaldi concerto and two superb Chaconnes, one by an Englishman, and one by an Italian. ★★★★★ ALBUM OF THE WEEK "Superb disc…La Serenissima's playing is perfection, at once courtly and refined" - The Times ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "An entertaining programme…Chaconnes by Purcell and Brescianello frame a programme where the strings of La Serenissima are responsive to nuance and congruent in sound" - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★ "[An] intriguing programme" - Irish Times -
Signum Records presents an exciting new collaboration and debut recording with Leeds International Piano Competition Winner (2015), Anna Tsybuleva, of music by Johannes Brahms together with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, conducted by Ruth Reinhardt. Tsybuleva has been described by as embodying “superb pianism and intelligent musicianship” (Gramophone Magazine) and “A pianist of rare gifts: not since Murray Perahia’s triumph in 1972 has Leeds had a winner of this musical poise and calibre”(International Piano Magazine). Performance highlights have included performances with the Basel Symphony, Mariinsky Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Alongside this, Tsybuleva has given recitals at such prestigious venues as Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Tonhalle Zürich, and the Wigmore Hall, London. "One is speechless. As far as their performance is concerned, the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the soloist and the conductor Ruth Reinhardt are an extremely eloquent team that realizes their musical ideas together. You can hear a direct and gripping Brahms, without any airs, without frills - music that speaks to you directly" - Piano News -
Anne Warthmann, soprano is accompanied by Hyowon Chi, flute, Arthur Stockel, clarinet and Naji Hakim at the historic STAHLHUTH-JANN ORGAN at St Martin’s Church, Dudelange , Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, in a program including the following world premiere recordings of Naji Hakim’s works : Abana for soprano and organ (2019) - Assalamu for soprano and organ (2019) - Our Lady's Minstrel (Prelude for clarinet and organ, Three poems for soprano and organ, Dance for clarinet and organ) (2013) - Adoration for soprano, flute and organ (2015) - Römisches Triptychon for soprano and organ (2010). "There are many exquisite and exciting performances on this disk from a quartet of musicians who excel in their chosen fields. The balance between the different instruments and voice has been superbly captured by the sound engineers. The sounds that Hakim creates are magnificent and we get to hear the organ in all its glorious manifestations. Anne Warthmann's powerful range is outstanding. The performances are tremendous, and Hakim's organ performance is exhilirating." - Organists' Review -
Founded in 1836, the Huddersfield Choral Society has developed an international reputation as one of the UK’s leading choral societies. Their new recording features works that are central to the choirs musical heritage, inlcuding works by Handel, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst and many more. -
The orchestra is the brainchild of Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE, FRAM, who describes the project’s aim as being “... to create a space where BME musicians can walk on stage and know that they belong, in every sense of the word. If even one BME child feels that their colour is getting in the way of their musical ambitions, then I hope to inspire them, give them a platform, and show them that music, of whatever kind, is for all people.” In this first release in a new series, Chineke! orchestra perform two beguiling works – Sibelius’s Finlandia and Dvořák’s much loved Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’. Both pieces encompass different aspects of BME influences in Western Classical music: Sibelius’s Finlandia embodied a national sentiment in both the composer’s homeland of Finland as well as for other small nations seeking to free themselves from subjugation from other countries (becoming the national anthem of Biafra during the civil war of 1967-1970), and although underplayed by critics at the time, Dvorak’s work rings with melodies influenced by the folk music and spirituals sung to him by his African- American student and assistant, Harry Burleigh, and with rhythms and pentatonic sections inspired by the music of the Sioux Indians, all wrapped up in the format of a Western Classical symphony. Music Web International A remarkable testament to a remarkable orchestra. Norther Echo This live recording of the works at the Royal Festival Hall, under the baton of Kevin John Edusai, oozes dynamism with fine playing in the quieter passages. The Kansas City Star pickDrawn from exceptional musicians from across the continent, the orchestra is part of the Chineke! Foundation – a non-profit organisation that provides career opportunities to young Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Their motto is ‘Championing Change and Celebrating Diversity in Classical Music.Signum are proud to present the debut recording from the Chineke! Orchestra, in a new live orchestral recording from The Royal Festival Hall, London. -
Following its successful full length opera, Artaxerxes, The Mozartists return with the first in an epic series of Mozart operas Apollo et Hyacinthus. Named in The Guardian as one of ‘The Best Classical albums of 2012’. The Mozartists have mounted two staged productions of Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus (1998 and 2006), with both receiving wide critical acclaim; The Independent stated, “Classical Opera’s polished debut in Apollo et Hyacinthus proved a pearl beyond price. Here was a work of staggering beauty riddled with sweet noises like Caliban’s enchanted isle.” -
“Après un rêve” is an ode to the French Belle Époque repertoire, depicting the beauty of dreams and the night. The album is an opportunity to hear and perhaps discover rarely played / rarely recorded wonderful works (Chaminade Nocturne, Duparc Aux étoiles, Poulenc Les soirées de Nazelles), alongside central pillars of the rep- ertoire, and includes a world premiere of Despax’s arrangement of Après un rêve. The album is attributed to his grandfather, Jacques Charpentreau, a French poet who adored this repertoire and frequently drew inspiration from the night in his works. Despax has curated some of his poetry, as well as works by other poets he admired to complement this music, taking the listener on an immersive poetic and musical journey through this nocturnal landscape. Classic FM ALBUM OF THE WEEK ★★★★ "Vividly recorded…dispatched with full-blooded power and melting tenderness by Emmanuel Despax…kaleidoscopic panache of Poulenc's Soirées de Nazelles, a particularly heart-tugging Clair de lune" - The Times ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "Despax is a formidable pianist, thoughtful and imaginative. Like an expert painter at the canvas, he carefully layers and tones sound, expertly measuring touch and pedal. This is beautiful playing, on an elegant yet substantial album" - BBC Music Magazine "This is a delightful recital" - BBC Radio 3 Record Review -
A composer inextricably linked with London’s Covent Garden, Thomas Arne’s greatest opera, Artaxerxes, was premièred at the Theatre Royal, the predecessor of the Royal Opera House, on 2 February 1762 and remained in the Covent Garden repertory until the late 1830s, where it received a documented 111 performances before 1790. The young Mozart almost certainly attended a performance when he came to London in the mid1760s and Haydn was also acquainted with the work, enthusiastically exclaiming that he “had no idea we had such an opera in the English language.” The Mozartists, under the dynamic leadership of conductor and artistic director Ian Page, are leading exponents of the music of Mozart and his contemporaries. Originally called Classical Opera, the company was founded in 1997 and has received widespread international acclaim for its stylish and virtuosic period-instrument orchestra, its imaginative and innovative programming and its ability to nurture and develop world-class young artists. Renowned for their fresh and insightful interpretations of well-known masterpieces as well as for their ability to bring rare and neglected works to light, they have mounted staged productions of many of Mozart’s operas. In 2015 the company launched MOZART 250, a ground-breaking 27-year project exploring the chronological trajectory of Mozart’s life, works and influences. Described by The Observer as “among the most audacious classical music scheduling ever,” this flagship project presents 250th Anniversary performances of most of Mozart’s important works, placing them in context alongside other significant works by Mozart’s contemporaries -
Matthew Barley adds to his reputation as one of the UK's most innovative and creative performers with the new programme and CD Around Britten – celebrating the centenary of Britten's birth with a selection of his works, including the Third Cello Suite and pieces by Sir John Tavener and Gavin Bryars. As always, Barley's playing is fearless. The disc is a voyage around the cello as well as around Britten, and one that never becomes relentless - Gramophone The performance of the Suite is a very fine one - International Record Review This engrossing recital is a defining statement in modern cello playing - Sinfini Music -
Simon Desbruslais returns to disc on Signum with an album that continues to expand the repertoire of the trumpet even further, with four new commissions for Trumpet, Piano and String Orchestra Toby Young’s The Art of Dancing is described by the composer as being ‘a modern homage to the baroque dance suite’, drawing inspiration from modern dance music styles including Acid House, Garage and Drum & Bass. Geoffrey Gordon’s Saint Blue is inspired by the visionary artist Wassily Kandinsky, creating a double concerto with a remarkable jazz-inspired cadenza between the trumpet, piano and double bass. Deborah Pritchard’s Seven Halts on the Somme responds to the series of oil paintings by artist Hughie O’Donoghue that mark seven stopping points for British troops during the Battle of the Somme – one of the most bloody conflicts of the First World War. Finally, Nimrod Borensteins’ Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra juxtaposes rhythms to create a multiplicity of different atmospheres in this highly effective and powerful work. For these premiere recordings Simon Desbruslais performs with pianist Clare Hammond, accompanied by the English String Orchestra under Kenneth Woods. ★★★★ Beautifully performed, highly original disc - BBC Music Magazine Simon Debruslais continues to expand the repertoire of his instrument with four new commissions… creating a double concerto with a remarkable jazz inspired cadenza - Northern Echo