• Lamento

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Counter-tenor Iestyn Davies and and the viol consort Fretwork present a new recording of works for viol consort and voice drawn from 17th-century Germany, following their critically-praised 2019 album of works by Michael Nyman and Henry Purcell (If, SIGCD586). Featuring performances from organist Silas Wollston and counter- tenor Hugh Cutting, the recital ranges widely over the 17th century – from the early years with three curiously similar sounding friends: Schein, Scheidt and Schütz, to the most significant member of the Bach family before Johann Sebastian, Johann Christoph Bach. From their they travel down North Sea to the foothills of the Alps, including Buxtehude’s predecessor at the Marienkirche in Lübeck – Franz Tunder (whose daughter Buxtehude was to marry) and another north German composer who worked in Copenhagen, Christian Geist. Giovanni Felice Sances is an outlier here: he was born in Rome, but spent the second part of his life working for three successive Emperors in Vienna, where viol playing was still very much in vogue. 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. Iestyn Davies is a British countertenor widely recognised as one of the world’s finest singers celebrated for the beauty and technical dexterity of his voice and intelligent musicianship. Critical recognition of Iestyn’s work can be seen in two Gramophone Awards, a Grammy Award, a RPS Award for Young Singer of the Year, the Critics’ Circle Award and recently an Olivier Award Nomination. He was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2017 for services to music.   "★★★★From the very first track (Tunder’s ‘Salve mi Jesu’) we encounter the central delight of this recording – the pure, clear countertenor voice of Iestyn Davies. His sense of phrasing and awareness of the changing harmonic colours provided by the accompanying instruments are consistent musical attributes" - BBC Music Magazine "Davies is not only capable of singing about pain and anguish – for contrast, try If (Signum Classics), his other disc with Fretwork – but the purity of his voice, with its rich palette of inflections, and his communication of the text, makes this ideal repertoire for him, and us."- The Guardian

    "[Schutz’s Auf dem Gebirge] It’s a gem, one among several on this beautiful release" - Gramophone

    "All in all, this is an interesting and compelling disc which attests to the spiritual depth of German music of the 17th century" - Musicweb International

    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Cantus: Manifesto

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Now in its 25 th Anniversary season, the “engaging” (New Yorker) men’s vocal ensemble Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The Washington Post has hailed the Cantus sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power” and refers to the “spontaneous grace” of its music making. The Philadelphia Inquirer called the group nothing short of “exquisite.” In a world filled with increasingly superficial connection between individuals and communities, humanity is yearning like never before to find a real sense of meaning in their lives. Manifesto takes a nuanced look at identity and relationship — with our friends, lovers, family and the divine. In keeping with Cantus’ commitment to the creation of new music for tenors, baritones and basses, the preponderance of the works on Manifesto were written specifically for Cantus, and all works are world premiere recordings. CRITICS CHOICE "The members of Cantus consistently sing with an attractively smooth-edged sound and good intonation. This creatively programmed release provides a gratifying variety of expression as well as a welcome dose of spiritual uplift" - Opera News "★★★★ What energy Cantus brings to it. Once of the most compelling male voice ensembles around" - Choir and Organ

    "Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Psalm of the Soil explores the idea of home with searing harmonies, delivered here with splendid warmth of tone and crisp ensemble…Beautifully performed throughout, the album’s a powerful hymn to human connection in it’s many forms" - BBC Music Magazine

    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Images

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    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

    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • The Queen’s Six Murder The Songs of Tom Lehrer

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Following Tom Lehrer’s decision in 2020 to release almost 100 of his songs into the public domain (for anyone to perform and adapt without permission) The Queen’s Six take up the offer with relish in this album of a cappella renditions of his “catchy and savage musical satire”. Based at Windsor Castle, the members of The Queen’s Six make up half of the Lay Clerks of St George’s Chapel, whose homes lie within the Castle walls. This rare privilege demands the highest musical standards, as they sing regularly for the Royal family at both private and state occasions. In 2018 this included the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle, held in St George’s Chapel. Most significantly however, it is the familiarity of living and singing together in Chapel every day that lends this group its distinctive closeness and blend, as well as an irresistible informality and charm.

    "Those who love the music of Thomas Lehrer cannot help but succumb to the charms of this disc, which is a thoroughly worthy successor to the recordings by these singers of more expected repertory" - MusicWeb International 

    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • In Winter’s House

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Their fourth Christmas release, BBC Music Magazine Award winning choir Tenebrae return under the expert direction Nigel Short with a sumptuous album of Carols, Hymns and other celebratory works for Christmas. Tenebrae is regularly engaged with the world’s finest orchestras appearing regularly with the Academy of Ancient Music and Aurora Orchestra and has performed at major festivals and venues including the BBC Proms, Edinburgh International Festival, Leipzig Gewandhaus (Germany) and Melbourne Festival (Australia). ‘Passion and Precision’ are Tenebrae’s core values. Through its continued dedication to performance of the highest quality, Tenebrae’s vision is to deliver dramatic programming, flawless performances and unforgettable experiences, allowing audiences around the world to be moved by the power and intimacy of the human voice. EDISON KLASSIEK WINNER 2023 "A ‘Rolls-Royce professional vocal ensemble…this is obviously very sophisticated and beautifully shaped singing and the women in Tenebrae have these clear, bell-like voices…they are so beautifully produced…It’s a fantastic sound… so clean, clear, blended, controlled, just perfection really…beautifully produced...beautifully made…that one’s definitely going home with me next weekend.”  - BBC Radio 3 – Record Review "A technically superb display of a largely unfamiliar, and imaginatively chosen, festive music. One to warm the chilliest evenings" - BBC Music Magazine
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Niccolò Jommelli: Il Vologeso

    Price range: £12.00 through £21.00
    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
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Behind Closed Doors, Brescianello, Vol. 1

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    La Serenissima presents a post-lockdown recording of the little-known 18th Century Italian composer, Brescianello. A contemporary of Vivaldi, Brescianello is a composer whose music languishes in relative obscurity. Whilst the mists of time have claimed some composers’ music for justifiable reasons, Brescianello’s music presents many compelling arguments for its restoration. Having first included Brescianello in La Serenissima’s 2014 season, they have since staged his opera Tisbe, recorded a violin concerto (Extra Time, SIGCD641), a trio sonata (Settecento, SIGCD663) and other works. It is surprising that the Opus 1 was the only set of works that Brescianello chose to publish and thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, La Serenissima have now been given the opportunity to start their exploration of this wonderful publication. La Serenissima is recognised as the UK’s leading exponent of the music of eighteenth-century Venice and connected composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from source material, and it has been praised for its ‘glorious and all-too-rare ability to make one’s pulse race afresh with every new project’ (Gramophone). La Serenissima has become synonymous with virtuosity, dynamism and accessibility, uncovering a plethora of new repertoire and making it available to all through live performance, high calibre recording work, education and outreach initiatives. "★★★★★ Performance, ★★★★★ Recording. "The performances by this accomplished ensemble are polished and invigorating. Chandler's solo violin playing is articulate, warm toned and communicative, and he is supported throughout by his disciplined and responsive players, among whom the continuo group excels…In summary, a rewarding issue." - BBC Music Magazine.  "[The three Opus 1 concertos]they are a delight to hear in these vital, refreshing accounts. They are effervescent in spirit and rich in invention. Chandler leads readings which are perfectly paced and tastefully inflected…La Serenissima’s performance and Signum’s recording of this delightful music seems ideal to me…this is a marvellous disc. The variety of Brescianello’s invention and the quality of the playing provide seventy minutes of pure listening pleasure. It’s a disc to savour piece by piece, not one to be relegated to background listening…the selections here achieve a consistently high quality. I certainly hope that Signum don’t delay too long in sharing the next instalment." - Musicweb International  
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Labyrinths

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Following the success of their last album, Timelapse, this new album from Orchestra of the Swan is a collection of extraordinary works connected by ideas of pilgrimage, contemplation, exploration and enlightenment through the works of composers such as Richter, Respighi, Britten, Piazzolla, Brian Eno, Nico Muhly, Joy Division and more. As with Timelapse, the joy is to be found in discovering the surprising and delightful connections between culturally disparate and musically contrasting time periods. Labyrinths have been an important part of humanity’s cultural landscape for thousands of years; from the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur to the intriguing stories of Jorge Luis Borges and Umberto Eco. Our overwhelming desire to find patterns and ‘the hidden truth’ is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the subversive and complex vistas of music. Formed in 1995, Orchestra of the Swan is a British chamber orchestra which, under the artistic direction of David Le Page, is passionate about audience inclusivity and blurring the lines between genres, through its adventurous and accessible programming.   "Labyrinths is a perfectly judged playlist: thoroughly enjoyable, superbly performed…offering a satisfying listening experience from top to toe" - Classical Explorer "…Explores ideas of pilgrimage, contemplation and enlightenment, filtered through a sequence of beautifully atmospheric music, imaginatively arranged and exquisitely performed…There is truly “something for everyone” on this album… And that ambient Eno track? It’s the perfect close to this brilliantly conceived, generous and rewarding recording. Highly recommended" - The Cross-Eyed Pianist "the Orchestra of the Swan presents a wildly eclectic programme, which makes for an exciting listen…the solos are ethereal and thoughtful" - BBC Music Magazine
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Barry: Alice’s Adventures Underground

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Signum Classics is proud to announce a new label partnership and recording debut with Irish National Opera, presenting the world-premiere recording of Gerald Barry’s opera, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, based on the famous book by Lewis Carroll. Irish National Opera is Ireland’s newest and most enterprising opera company. It champions Irish creativity in its casting, its choice of creative teams and in its commitment to the presentation of new operas. André de Ridder’s stylistic versatility, projects and collaborations make him much in demand by the BBC Proms, the Holland, Sydney and Manchester International Festivals, and orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, among others. “Barry’s artistic voice is shocking, enchanting and often downright weird. He revels in contrasting the hilariously absurd with the heart-wrenchingly beautiful to create a surreal musical language that is perfectly suited to the fantasy world of Lewis Carroll.” Toby Young, composer ★★★★★ Performance, ★★★★ Recording "[Such] musical references are so beautifully integrated they enhance the referential nature of Carroll's original narrative arc" - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★★ "An explosive version of Alice in Wonderland…the album version of this memorable lyrical comedy is brilliantly conducted by André de Ridder at the head of an unleashed Irish Chamber Orchestra…Barry pulls off brilliant satire saturated with ferociously destructive nonsense with panache." -  Classica ★★★★★ "I missed it on stage, but this recording does the work theatrical justice simply because it is a theatrical score, full of surprises delights the ear. André de Ridder conducts the Irish Chamber Orchestra with total control of the chaotic score" - Musical Opinion
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Matthew Locke: The Flat Consort

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Matthew Locke was born 400 years ago in 1622, and while he is often ranked as one of England’s finest composers, he is still unaccountably neglected: his music may not be as immediately appealing as his immediate successor, Henry Purcell, nor as wide- ranging as William Byrd, yet his forceful musical personality and luxuriant technique place him in the first echelon of English composers, with his works described by Richard Boothby of Fretwork as having a "quixotic, capricious restlessness that is constantly challenging the listener to follow his argument ... a thrilling musical ride". Accompanying Fretwork on continuo for this recording are David Miller (archlute and theorbo) and Silas Wollston (harpsichord). The cover of the album bares an inscription in the walls by the choir stall of Exeter Cathedral, thought to have been carved by the composer during his time as a member of the choir there. In 2021, Fretwork celebrated 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. Their recent critically- praised releases with Signum include If and Lamento – both with counter-tenor Iestyn Davies – and In Nomine 2 (★★★★★ BBC Music Magazine). ★★★★★ "Written for friends to play, this richly imaginative music is unaccountably rarely performed which makes this satisfying disc from Fretwork so welcome…All the music receives terrific performances from the players, and they really manage to evoke the atmosphere of those friends playing together in the 17th century Hereford" - Planet Hugill ★★★★ Performance, ★★★★ Recording "Fretwork captures the brooding quality of the minor-mode suites particularly well, and their sinewy playing points up Locke's vigorous counterpoint and robust rhythms. The main bonus of the new disc, though, is it's inclusion of three other suites from the surprisingly neglected "Flat Consort"" - BBC Music Magazine Favourite Classical Albums of 2022 "Fretwork play gorgeously" - Gramophone
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Renowned performers Iestyn Davies and Joseph Middleton perform Schubert's tragic song- cycle Die schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Maid of the Mill). Adapting poetry by Wilhelm Müller, the genesis of D. 795 marks the beginning of the end of Schubert's life; he discovered that he had contracted syphilis sometime in late 1822 or early 1823, and it was in 1823 that he composed this tale of a poet-singer who dies in the aftermath of erotic experience. Released under the own label of St John's College, Cambridge, this recording acts as a celebration of Iestyn Davies's formative period at the college; beginning there as a 7-year-old probationer in 1987, he progressed to become Head Chorister, before ultimately returning to study as a choral scholar. Alongside full texts and translations, the booklet includes a background on the work by noted Lied expert Susan Youens, as well as reflections on Iestyn's time at St John's from the College's past and present Directors of Music – Christopher Robinson and Andrew Nethsingha. ""Die liebe Farbe" is hauntingly beautiful, for example, the countertenor spinning his line with a deeply affecting purity of tone…there's a hypnotic quality to "Der Muller und der Bach too…The way the pair handle the switch in mood at "O Bachlein meiner Liebe"…will stop you in your tracks…This is an often beguiling - and well-recorded - album. The countertenor's fans need not hesitate, and adventurous Schubertians might well also want to seek it out for a fresh perspective on this familiar work" - Gramophone "Highly polished performance from two superb musicians…The slower songs work beautifully…Middleton brings texture through his imaginative rendition of Schubert's accompaniments. The recording quality is outstandingly clear" - BBC Music Magazine
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • From Windsor with Love

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    "Historically, The Queen’s Six has always performed arrangements of pop songs. It was one of the main reasons for the group’s inception in 2008, also the 450th anniversary of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth I, from whom they take their name. This juxtaposition of old and new has always been a big part of Q6’s ethos: there are rich rewards to be gained from both the beautiful, sonorous church music they perform, and their fun, tongue-in-cheek pop and jazz arrangements. Coaxing the wit and charm out of these songs has been a main part of their raison d’être since day one. So why make a pop album now, and why these songs? From Windsor with love was first conceived working with US Producer TJ Armand in 2019. Armand was at the time the Director of the Bermuda Festival, where the group performed in the same year. Their journey to Bermuda once again typified their mixture of styles: they flew directly from New York City where they had performed two programmes of church music at the Met Cloisters, to the wonderful island of Bermuda, where they were in the same festival brochure as Chaka Khan. After years of performing arrangements of pop songs, their meeting with Armand was the spark that lit the fuse for this album. The curation of From Windsor with love was not entirely plain sailing. As part of their job as singers in the St George’s Chapel Choir, Windsor Castle, members of The Queen’s Six sang at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. The album was therefore initially intended to be mash-ups of US-style wedding songs. However, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the originally intended romantic hue of these songs took on a new meaning, one not just of love, but of unity in the face of adversity. The symbolism of songs such as Heaven is a place on earth and Stand by me became especially poignant, and so the project took on a new dimension. With their madcap on-stage antics, and their love of pushing the boundaries of what’s 'acceptable', The Queen’s Six couldn’t make such an album without choosing some unusual songs. Here you’ll find more traditional classics such as Bob Dylan’s Make you feel my love, and Young and Heyman’s When I fall in love, next to Huey Lewis and the News’ The power of love, and Limahl’s Never ending story (the fact that members of the group grew up with the films that made these two songs famous helped in the decision-making process). The first three of these were arranged by long-time Q6 collaborator Stephen Carleston, and they show his extraordinarily wide-ranging gifts. In the hands of arranger Ruairi Bowen, Never ending story becomes a sort of rhapsody on Giorgio Moroder’s original music. Staying in the 1980s, Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven is a place on earth gets an early-Baroque-style treatment. Sometimes it can take a while for a cappella arrangements to take shape, but Miguel Esteban knew exactly what he wanted to do with it from the outset. Alternating sections of quasi-Baroque vocal writing and close harmony, Esteban creates something that is true to Q6’s roots, whilst retaining the beauty of the original song. Taking us a bit more towards 19th-century Germany, Simon Whiteley’s arrangement of Richard Marx’s Right here waiting is perhaps more of a Brahmsian lullaby, dream-like and hypnotic. Rock legend Van Morrison’s romantic ballad Have I told you lately gets more of a jazzy treatment in Tim Carleston’s arrangement, which is more akin to Rod Stewart’s version of the song. Back a bit further to the 70s, and two R&B classics: Grover Washington Jr and Bill Withers’ Just the two of us has a slightly understated groove feel in Tom Lilburn’s arrangement; and in his arrangement of The O’Jays’ Now that we found love, Louis Marlowe carries on this slightly funkier style. Billy Joel’s Just the way you are completes a triptych of '70s gems, with the crooning tenor solo line interrupted only by a jazz bass section, and an alto 'instrumental' break. Coming a bit more up to date, and a song not readily imaginable as an a cappella cover, Tom Lilburn’s version of The Proclaimers’ 90s hit, I’m Gonna be (500 miles), recaptures some of the song’s romantic heart, whilst retaining its inexorable vigour. And bringing us much closer to the present day is Ruairi Bowen’s arrangement of Sufjan Stevens’ Mystery of love. Another song made famous by a film (2017’s Call me by your name), Bowen coaxes all the laid-back rhythmic interest from Stevens’ original by way of intricate, almost bird-like vocal lines. One song that has survived from the initial plans for an album of ‘wedding songs’ is Stand by me. The group first heard this arrangement of the Ben E King classic as they prepared for Prince Harry’s wedding back in 2018. As they sat in the choir stalls, the sound of this song suddenly began to drift up from the other end of the Chapel. Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir’s rendition in an arrangement by Mark De-Lisser touched them in the most extraordinary way. Understanding that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and with De-Lisser’s very kind permission, the group made their own, purely a cappella arrangement of this song. There’s nothing Q6 likes more than singing these pop songs, and the celebratory interaction with the audience they aord. As the dust settles after the pandemic, and touring becomes a possibility again, the group is looking to the future, hoping to bring its signature blend of old and new, serious and fun, to an ever-wider following." - Simon Whiteley (The Queen's Six) “Impeccable pop…Slick performances and chameleon performers, code-switching plausibly from rock to pop to funk and jazz, then From Windsor with Love will hit the spot. This is pop perfectly translated for the concert hall.” - Gramophone Magazine ★★★★ "The Queen's Six can do light and popular repertoire: A fine record, fresh arrangements - a beautiful foray…They move individually at a high level, interact as an ensemble with agile perfection and a recognizable pleasure in sound" - Klassik.com
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Vivaldi’s Women

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    ​​“Apart from a short period (1717-19) spent in Mantua under the patronage of Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, Vivaldi never held a full-time post in church or at court; for a composer of Vivaldi’s talent and standing, this was most unusual. That said, he was employed for significant periods by the Ospedale della Pietài, a Venetian institution (founded c.1340) that cared for unwanted children, often illegitimate or physically disadvantagedii. The Pietà’s performers were taken from a group of women known as the figlie di coro, who sang and played the violin, violin in tromba marina, viola, viola d’amore, cello, violone, viol, double bass, theorbo, mandolin, harpsichord, organ, oboe, flute, recorder, chalumeau and clarinet. The Pietà developed a strong reputation for its musical performances, engaging the finest composers and teachers of the day. It was important to ensure that the standards were high; after all, these entertainments were most popular with Venetians and visitors alike whose donations provided a welcome extra source of revenue. In addition to the many fine vocal works, Vivaldi also contributed many concertos that could be used to replace parts of the liturgy in church services. Amongst these are almost certainly all of his concertos for violin and obligato organ, presumably designed to show off the magnificent instrument that the Pietà had purchased in 1708. We are extremely grateful to the Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot for sharing his findings. As so much of Vivaldi’s sacred output seems to have been created whilst deputising for others, one can only imagine the riches that would have poured forth from his pen had he been given a church post. The quality of the music contained within his sacred oeuvre is breath-taking and it is a great tragedy that the evidence points to a large tranche of this repertoire having been lost over the years. It is interesting on this last point to note how few of the great composers since 1750 have been violinists. One can only hope that the time is now ripe for Vivaldi’s genius as a church composer to be fully recognised” ★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "This collection of sacred vocal and instrumental works written for the female performers of Venice's Pietà exploits a host of unusual instruments and vocal timbres…La Serenissima's playing is lithe and efficient throughout" - BBC Music Magazine "The Concerto for viola d'amore, RV394, shows off the range of a specially commissioned new Italian-style instrument…from luthier Dan Larson. Chandler makes the most of its fine-spun, silvery tone in the slow movement…Jess Dandy is a game soloist in the wonderfully fiery Cur sagittas, luscious breadth of tone spilling over and softening" - Gramophone  
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (String Quintet Versions)

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    Following the acclaimed Brahms recording in 2021, Emmanuel Despax presents his sixth album with Signum Classics: Chopin Piano Concertos (chamber versions) with Chineke! Chamber Ensemble. “Chopin’s Piano Concertos are among his first and most significant points of departure, a marked liberation from the constraints of an early but short-lived respect for custom and tradition... I would say that the excep- tional nature of this Chopin recording lies in the combination of the chamber music, quintet slimmed-down version of the Piano Concertos complemented by a pianist who plays with an almost epic size and grandeur.” - Bryce Morrison, C.2021 Emmanuel Despax has gained worldwide recognition as a singular artist, whose interpretations bring a rare sincerity and imagination to the music. Chineke! was founded in 2015 by the double bass player, Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, to provide career oppor- tunities for established and up-and-coming Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. The Chineke! Chamber Ensemble comprises the principal players of the Chineke! Orchestra.   ★★★★ "[The result] is entrancing, with piano and string quintet intimately interweaving, adding extra strength and beauty to scores already potent enough with their melodic riches and romantic allure. And if you imagine the results might be rather dainty, you don’t know Emmanuel Despax. Coming after the eloquent string players’ long introduction to the First Concerto, Despax’s opening statement arrives like a blast of dynamite. Though he sinks happily into meltingly lovely reverie when Chopin’s intentions allow, he’s driven mostly by dark energy and muscular strength. In doing so, Despax reveals to us the music of a 20-year-old already stretching beyond decorative brilliance towards the powerful expression of contradictory, sometimes troubling emotions…I didn’t miss the full orchestra at all" - The Times "When played with such aplomb as by Despax and the Chineke! Chamber Ensemble they are simply magnificent. Played with the authority, control and enthusiasm of Despax and Chineke, the results are breath-taking...Despax’s touch and tone are immaculate and Signum’s recordings are sensational. Heartily recommended" - International Piano "His legato tone and playing are fascinating, and the warm sound is combined with the performance of the five musicians of the Chineke! Chamber Ensemble, which live up to their potential. A performance of this quality really deserves nothing more than the best of the Signum Records label" - Sonograma "Despax's pianism is all we know to expect from him by now: considered eminently musical, deeply committed. He is clearly at home in chamber music, and the Chineke! Players are the most sympathetic partners" - Classical Explorer
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • La bohème

    Price range: £12.00 through £21.00
    The Paris of love and art. A poet, a painter, a musician and a philosopher. Living hand to mouth in a freezing garret. Christmas cheer and a heart won by girl next door. The tragedies of love and poverty. Puccini’s best-loved opera is touching, comic, realistic and romantic, true for any time in which deep bonds can flower in the face of adversity. Experience the power of Puccini's sublime score in this new concert performance by Irish National opera, featuring celebrated Irish sopranos Celine Byrne and Anna Devin, in the roles of Mimì and Musetta. "The quality and clarity of this recording are exceptional – every note is pin sharp – while the singing is truly excellent. Bizic is particularly good as Marcello, his voice rounded and clear, with great diction.Byrne’s Mimì, too, is superb. Her voice really soars in her Act I aria ‘Si. Mi chiamano Mimì’…Devin’s impressive coloratura in Act II’s ‘Ch’io beva del tossico!’ (‘I’ll drink some poison!’) also deserves special mention…[This production] will surely appeal to those global listeners." - Opera For All "This recording has one of the finest third acts I have heard, brilliantly sculpted by Alapont to include moments of held-breath emotion - and certainly one of the tenderest endings, with the Rodolfo and Mimì in perfect accord. The recording is spectacular…We hear everything, and in beautiful perspective" - Classical Explorer ★★★★ Performance, ★★★★ Recording "Celine Byrne is a touching Mimi…Vitulskis is capricious, jealous and head over heels with the girl upstairs…It's Sergio Alapont in the pit who really makes the difference, subtly stretching Puccini's tempos for maximum dramatic effect, finding orchestral details in a familiar score that you had forgotten, or never properly heard, and above all letting his singers lead" - BBC Music Magazine
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details

  • Bob Chilcott: Circlesong

    Price range: £8.00 through £14.00
    A work filled with ambition, Circlesong is a musical portrayal of the human life cycle as captured in the indigenous poetry of North America. Based on poetry from the Chinook, Comanche, Dakota, Eskimo, Iroquois, Kwakiutl, Navajo, Ojibwa, Pueblo, Seminole, Sioux, and Yaqui traditions, the thirteen movements, in seven parts, mark the different stages of life, from birth and childhood to adulthood, middle age and death. With energetic percussion accompaniment, climactic moments for tutti choir, tender unaccompanied passages and solo song, Circlesong is a work of impressive drama, variety, and depth, performed here by the Grammy® Award winning Houston Chamber Choir under Robert Simpson. Founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Robert Simpson, the Houston Chamber Choir received the 2019 Grammy® Award for Best Choral Performance for its recording of the complete works of Maurice Duruflé (also available from Signum). Other honours include Chorus America’s Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and the American Prize, Professional Choir Division. Dubbed by Jamie Bernstein as“the choral equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters” the Houston Chamber Choir is as comfortable singing jazz with Christian McBride and Dave Brubeck as performing Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel with violist Kim Kashkashian, and Mass Observation by Tarik O’Regan. "I was impressed by their singing of Circlesong. They make a most attractive sound. The singing is very well disciplined and there's good attention to both dynamics and diction…The instrumentalists are uniformly excellent…They've recorded the performances very successfully…This is a most enjoyable disc which I hope will increase awareness among other choirs of these rewarding pieces, especially Circlesong" - MusicWeb International ★★★★ "Circlesong is a choral work packed full of fun, with vibrant, dynamic sections alongside more reflective, ethereal moments. Placed alongside a series of shorter pieces by the contemporary composer here, there's plenty to enjoy" - BBC Music Magazine "The Houston Performers give an immaculate, eloquent performance of a charming, life-affirming piece." - Choir and Organ
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details
This website uses cookies and third party services. Ok
Go to Top