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“Orlando Gibbons was a genius. We can probably all agree that this term is massively anachronistic. However, justified, I think, in order to establish his music on the same elevated niveau as Purcell or Beethoven or Schubert. While it is difficult to make such analogies when his music is still relatively rarely performed by comparison with these more illustrious names, but Gibbons’ fecundity of imagination, his masterly handling of his material, his emotional depth and maturity, the exquisite turns of phrase, his harmonic assurance, his contrapuntal ease and mastery - all this puts him in the first rank of composers” - Richard Boothby. “My Days is a ritualised memory piece about Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) written for two ensembles whose recordings informed so much of my musical development. I feel like I spend half of my life trying to trick string players to play like Fretwork...so it was with enormous pleasure that I composed this piece.” - Nico Muhly ★★★★★ - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★ - Financial Times ★★★★ - Fono Forum ★★★★ - "Muhly’s composition, with its urgent string figures, contrasts beautifully with the flowing imitations of Gibbons’ fantasias, around it." - The Guardian “An exhilarating reminder of the sheer ambition of this extraordinary body of chamber music.” - Gramophone "[Fretwork's] interpretation of these pieces by Gibbons, as well as one by Nico Muhly, is distinguished by technical excellence, interpretative depth and an innovative contribution to the viola da gamba repertoire." - Sonograma -
A prolific composer and organist, Naji Hakim is truly one of the most versatile performer-composers working today, garnering praise from his numerous organ and composition competition prizes as well as an award from Pope Benedict XVI for his musical work in benefit of the church.This new recording continues Signum’s series of discs with Naji Hakim with a new selection of his chamber works, featuring performances by Rima Tawil, Magali Mosnier, Claire Foison, Quatuor de la Chapelle Royale (with Renaud Bary) as well as by the composer. These works draw on a wide range of influences: Phèdre sets the words of Jean Racine’s tragic work of the same name to music; Caprice en Rondeau is a sprightly piece featuring themes by Rameau; and the Diptyque combines folk tunes through the tonal pallate of the basque flute the txistu. The premiere recording of the Concerto for Piano is a tour-de-force for soloist Claire Foison, accompanied in this version for String Quintet by the Quatuor de la Chapelle Royale and Renaud Bary. -
Bass-baritone Stephan Loges is accompanied by Iain Burnside in a collection that explores concepts of lost youth, the transience of life and the comforting presence of nature. The programme features performances of Schumann’s 12 Gedichte Op. 35 and Brahms’s 5 Lieder Op. 94, as well as in 5 rarely recorded works by Finnish composer Yrjö Kilpinen.
Born in Dresden, Stephan Loges was an early winner of the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. He has given recitals throughout the world, including regular appearances at Wigmore Hall London and the Oxford Lieder Festival, as well as Carnegie Hall New York and many more.
★★★★ Loges and Burnside are a responsive duo... an intuitive set of songs with real light and shade throughout - BBC Music Magazine A sensitive, touching account of [Schumann's Op 35 cycle], with Iain Burnside offering fine piano playing - Gramophone Iain Burnside is as usual a flexible accompanist and Stephan Loges, who has already an impressive catalogue of recordings behind him, adds a further gem to his [collection] - MusicWeb International -
“Contemporary music and Commissioning have been central features of the last fifteen years at St John’s. It’s been a joy to work with talented student composers, singers and instrumental- ists; my own musicianship has been greatly enriched by their creativity and energy... After a 30-month break from sessions during the pandemic, we were very pleased to be able to record again in 2022. The material on this album comes from various times of year, whilst we were also continuing our Magnificat series. For the final sessions in December the outdoor temperature was forty degrees colder than it had been for the previous recording in July! The personnel of the lower voices had also largely changed, but I hope you will hear a successful continuity of sound- world. All the composers are alive today but, at the suggestion of one of them, we have omitted dates of birth so as not to intrude on their privacy. I’ve curated a sequence of music which aims to celebrate some of the broad range of styles in 21st-century choral writing. The premiere of Iain Farrington’s Nova Nova was the final piece in my last St John’s broadcast - I have often enjoyed pushing the boundaries of the Anglican choral tradition!” - Andrew Nethsingha CHORAL AND SONG CHOICE ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "The album gives a remarkable overview of contemporary choral trends…The choir's musicianship is superb and its vocal balance perfectly calibrated; the textures vibrant and the sensuous beauty of the St John's sound is expertly captured by Signum…A valuable addition to the choral library" - BBC Music Magazine “A superlative album… The sequence is beautifully planned and feels seamless” - Choir & Organ "This CD, with the now fully mixed choir of St John's, is outstanding in content and performance. It represents both a culmination of achievement and shines a light on the new possibilities for choral music in the future. It would be a mistake not to buy this." - Organists' Review "This superlative album represents Andrew Nethsingha's exploration of contemporary music during his fifteen years as Director of Music…beautifully planned and feels seamless…What a legacy he leaves" - Cathedral Music -
The Mozartists continue their MOZART 250 project of staging operas by Mozart and his contemporaries with their recording of the UK premiére of Niccolò Jommelli’s Il Vologeso, first performed over 250 years ago on 11 February 1766 for the Stuttgart court in Ludwigsburg. For this eagerly awaited performance The Mozartists assembled a superb young cast, headed by the Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, a graduate of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, tenor Stuart Jackson, a former Mozartists Associate Artist, and soprano Gemma Lois Summerfield, winner of the 2015 Kathleen Ferrier Award. Jommelli was born just north of Naples in 1714 (the same year as Gluck) and died there in 1774. Largely forgotten now, he was one of the most celebrated composers of his day, and during a career which spanned thirty-seven years he wrote some eighty operas as well as a great number of sacred works. He was seen as an important and progressive composer in combining the vocal melodiousness and lyricism of Italian opera with more elaborate and dramatically charged elements of French opera. Set in Ephesus, on the western extremes of the Parthian Empire, in c.164 AD, Il Vologeso centres on Berenice, a woman who becomes caught between two men – the victorious Roman general Lucio Vero, and Vologeso, King of the Parthians (thought dead, but recently returned after his defeat battle). 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."What commends this one-off concert version ofIl Vologeso is its raw energy…In Jommelli’s multi-section finale, Page springs a lot of surprises and paces his dynamics superbly…[This] Il Vologeso is a gem." - BBC Music Magazine
"The cast, recorded at a concert with no subsequent patching, is excellent. This is a fine achievement by The Mozartists and Ian Page" - Gramophone ★★★★ "In this London production recorded live, Ian Page enthusiastically conducts The Mozartists who are more than familiar with this pre-classical repertoire" - Classica -
Under their guest conductor Paavo Järvi, the Philharmonia Orchestra perform three characteristically fiery works by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen; the Flute and Clarinet Concertos, and the Aladdin Suite.The concerto solo parts are performed by two of the orchestra’s principal players – flautist Samuel Coles and clarinettist Mark van de Wiel. -
For her debut concerto recording, ECHO 'Rising Star' Juliette Bausor performs works for flute and orchestra by Mozart and Nielsen, with Royal Northern Sinfonia and conductor, Jaime Martin. -
Night Lights is the first choral EP from composer John Barber and Fourth Window ensemble. Using 8 solo voices its four tracks journey from the twinkling lights of a city at dusk to the dawn of a new day. Setting texts by contemporary writers Inua Ellams and Hazel Gould and traditional words from The Song of Songs, this is an intimate and, at times, epic exploration of night time - a place of solitude, wonder and unexpected connections. Conducted by Sarah Latto, John's music is direct and confessional - with echoes of Steve Reich, James Macmillan and Bjork - a fresh new voice in contemporary choral music. -
Renowned British composer Richard Blackford sets the Greek fable of Niobe to music in the premiere recording of his new violin concerto, performed by Tamsin Waley-Cohen with the Czech Philharmonic under conductor Ben Gernon.
In the myth, Niobe, who has seven daughters and seven sons, mocks Leto, goddess of motherhood yet mother of only two children - Apollo and Artemis. In revenge, Apollo murders Niobe’s sons, while Artemis kills her daughters, and her husband Amphion, king of Thebes, commits suicide. Niobe in grief turns to Zeus for help, who takes pity and turns Niobe to stone; she continues to weep, however, for eternity, her tears flowing as a stream from the rock.
Waley-Cohen comments: “The Greeks saw Niobe as a warning against hubris, but what happened to her can also be interpreted today as a tale about the overly severe punishment of women judged to have stepped out of line. Her punishment seems so brutal, as does the punishment that many women face today around the world. Richard’s concerto is an incredibly powerful piece and a story that is so relevant to women’s issues today.”
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A song recital which commemorates World War One brings to mind works by the poets and composers who fought valiantly for their country. But the affliction of the War was not restricted to the battlefields. As well as those who fought, there were those interned, those who stayed to defend their home, and those who were forced from their homes by the advancing armies. This recital draws its inspiration from those lives upturned by the Great War, whether friend or foe, soldier or civilian. Some survived the conflict to produce great catalogues of works. Others never made it home, penning their final songs in the mud of the trenches. Alongside established works, this recital programme introduces some little known songs to portray the humanity of those caught up in the torrent of The Great War. 2CD Set, Price of a Single CD
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Their second Christmas album on Signum Records, Armonico Consort and Christopher Monks return with a new album featuring a collection of carols both old and new. They have created the perfect soundtrack for those who love an atmosphere at Christmas. Featuring world premiere recordings by Composer Toby Young and the first ever recording of ‘Star Song’ by Jonathan Dove on a Christmas album, there are also exquisitely sublime versions from ‘Silent Night’ to ‘Away in a Manger’. "It is ten years since our last carols recording, and we have collected some incredible works we have been so keen to record, including several commissioned from our composer in residence. Christmas somehow manages to inspire composers to write the most imaginative, both in terms of creativity and melodiousness, and Toby is an expert at making Christmas music sound just as we want it to be!" - Christopher Monks "This ["O Adonai"] is a beautiful, shimmering, numinous opener sung by soprano Emily Wenman. I could imagine this stilling the most restless of congregations at the start of a carol service and leading them into worship. There is a splendid selection of material… there is nothing that is not worth hearing in this collection, but my favourite is Elizabeth Poston's "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree". All the singing by the Armonico Consort is first-rate and ably supported by Edward Picton-Turberville on the organ of St Jude's Church, Hampstead. This is a well-chosen and well sung collection that should lift the hearts of all who hear it.” – Cross Rhythms"One of the most outstanding works of this recording is the already named The Star Song, a brilliant Christmas carol with a fabulously commissioned main theme, performed fabulously by the choir. The music selected by Christopher Monks is universal, within the best religious tradition. The sublime Angel's Carol by John Rutter and Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by the composer Elizabeth Poston live in the hearts of musicians, a wonderful canon of four sopranos that interweave the main melody with itself and create a delightful finale." - Sonograma Magazine -
The Sonata for organ by Peter Tranchell, a former Precentor of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, was written in 1958 for Peter le Huray, a fellow lecturer in the Music Faculty of Cambridge University, and Director of Music at St Catharine’s College. The music is closely based on the dedicatee’s name, and the third movement makes extensive use of the plainchant Antiphon Tu es Petrus. The title page quotes the Antiphon melody together with the Acrostic—an arrangement of the letters of the name Peter Geoffrey le Huray:EEGEFFEEHA PTRORYLURY
The first movement, Preludio – Allegro molto, is a toccata, with perpetuum mobile semiquavers in the right hand and mildly dissonant left hand chords in short crotchet and semiquaver phrases, suggesting the rhythms of Morse Code. These are, of course, the non-pitch letters of the name Peter Geoffrey le Huray: PTRORYLURY. The top notes of the chords and the angular pedal theme which follows are derived from the pitch letters EEGEFFEEHA (H = B natural). The left hand then introduces a two-part version of the EEGEFFEEHA theme, continuing on to a new melody, based on the LH chords of the opening in arpeggiated form, together with more dissonant harmonies. This section forms the central part of an arch-structure, and the movement closes with a short coda, finishing on a highly-spiced E major chord. Throughout this movement the harmonic idiom is highly chromatic and often dissonant, though there is always an underlying sense of tonality. The rhythm of the name Peter le Huray is frequently projected. Andante ostinato is imbued with feelings of longing, with two major climaxes, ecstatic or anguished, perhaps both. The opening three-part counterpoint makes extensive ostinato use of the retrograde version of the theme (AHEEFFEGEE), and this is in evidence for most of the movement. The predominantly dissonant idiom finally gives way to more romantic harmonies, ambiguously suggesting fulfilment or resignation, surmounted by the AHEEFFEGEE melody. Tu es Petrus in fuga starts with a grand, richly harmonised statement of the Tu es Petrus melody (Tempo comodo ma non lento), before embarking upon a fugue (Allegretto con moto), based on EEGEFFEEHA as the main subject, and of extreme complexity, both contrapuntal and rhythmic. The time signature is 4/4 , but as often as not the effect is 3 + 3 + 2/8 , and the periodic appearances of the plainchant melody in this rhythm, over a somewhat irreverent oom-cha-cha accompaniment, recall Tranchell’s compositions for the theatre. The fugue ends with two further expansive harmonisations of Tu es Petrus, linked by a characteristically pianistic flourish. There are hardly any indications of registration or dynamics, apart from a few crescendi and suggestions of balance, such as 'en dehors' and 'equal manuals'. The title page includes the instruction: Each movement may be played separately either loud or soft. The present edition, the first of Peter Tranchell’s Sonata for organ to be published, has been type-set from the composer’s manuscript by John Gwinnell and published by The Peter Tranchell Foundation. The Sonata for organ is recorded with permission from the Syndics of Cambridge University Library. "The perfectly in tune Compton proves itself the perfect vehicle for this richly varied repertoire, especially when as well recorded as it has been here by the Signum team…[Harper's] assured technique nakes light of some of the challenges that clearly exist, unerringly finding the heart and soul of every work in the programme…You won't be disappointed" - Organists' Review -
Christmas carols have a universal appeal stemming from the tradition of music being played, sung, rearranged and rewritten by different generations in many different countries and over a number of centuries. Louis Halsey’s Nova! Nova!, a collection of new arrangements of many of the most well-known and beautiful carols from as far back as medieval times, represents perhaps the largest collection of carols by a single composer for many years. Hertfordshire Chorus and David Temple have recorded 23 of these carols in this beautifully presented new collection, including English, German, French, Czech, Basque, Welsh and Irish melodies. “What I love about Louis Halsey’s arrangements is that they are both tasteful and simple, allowing the beauty of each carol to shine through. We are thrilled to share these with a wider audience with this new recording.” - David Temple, Musical Director“This is an attractive CD of many familiar Christmas hymns and carols in arrangements by Louis Halsey for choir and organ. People looking for different, singable and listenable settings of some familiar music need not look further than this disc. ‘Joy to the world’, ‘Ding dong! merrily on high’, ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’, ‘Deck the hall with boughs of holly’ and many others are found here. The Hertfordshire Chorus give spirited and committed performances of this repertoire. Their diction is clear and crisp, the dynamic contrasts are excellent, and their command of French and German is impressive.” - RSCM -
The festival of Christmas means many things to many people. Its status as an international public holiday provides a rare opportunity for families and friends from far and wide to come together. Being creatures of habit, many communities establish rituals to prepare for and mark the occasion, finding comfort in the familiarity of an annual structure. For some, the birth of Christ the Saviour is at the centre of these practices, while others regard Christmas as a secular celebration characterised by Santa and mulled wine. These diverse, multifaceted traditions of Advent and Christmas are explored throughout Now may we singen. With works by composers of different generations, backgrounds and musical legacies, Christmas as both ancient holy day and modern, ever evolving holiday is embraced by Timothy Garrard (director), Ben Bloor (organ) and the Choir of Westminster School through bold, characterful musical interpretations. -
The second album from the Choir of St John’s with their new music director - Christopher Gray. At the centre of the programme are the atmospheric Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noël by Francis Poulenc, and the heartfelt Three Carol-An-thems by Herbert Howells who directed the Choir here at St John’s during the Second World War. Other items include the beautiful carol John Rutter wrote for the Choir in 1985, There is a flower, and the haunting Peace on earth by Master of the King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen. “My aim with this album has not been to break new ground with repertoire, but to ensure that classics remain fresh for the current generation” - Christopher Gray 9/10 - “all the singing is first class throughout.” - CrossRhythms ★★★★ - "Captures [the choir] in wholesome fettle" - BBC Music Magazine "A glorious mixture of impassioned performances" - Gramophone “A superb disc, beautifully presenting a procession os stellar performances with detailed notes and in sterling sound.” - Classical Explorer “The recording quality is of the excellent standard that all of John’s own label recordings have established” - MusicWeb International “The Choir of St John's clearly continues to thrive, and Christopher Gray has assumed the mantle of his distinguished predecessors with aplomb.” - Organists' Review -
Signum Records are proud to present the seventh album from film and television composer Oliver Davis. Similarly to his previous album SOLACE, AIR was written during lockdown and draws on themes of nature, environment and the natural world. Davis’s previous albums with Signum have reached the top 10 on both iTunes Classical and UK Specialist Classical Charts multiple times, receiving numerous five-star reviews and well over a million streams on Apple Music. British composer Oliver Davis has parlayed a long record as a composer of film and television scores into a successful career as a composer of orchestral music that in performance have attracted top-notch London orchestras and soloists. He has also been active as a composer of ballet – most recently premiering Lineage with choreographer Edwaard Liang at New York City Ballet’s prestigious Fall Fashion Gala. ★★★★ "Britain's Oliver Davis is a soundtrack composer who has turned to freestanding orchestral and chamber music with great success…Fresh and never sentimental or cloying, this recording benefits from fine studio sound on the part of Signum Classics, and overall, this may be a good recording to try for those curious about Davis" - AllMusic.com