Hyperion Records

Hyperion's Record of the Month for March 2013 is quite special: for many years now Stephen Layton and Polyphony have captivated London audiences with the Bach St John Passion and now this immaculately crafted performance is available for all, Ian Bostridge and Neal Davies leading the distinguished line-up of soloists, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment underpinning the monumental whole.

Chloë Hanslip makes a most welcome second appearance on Hyperion with another fine contribution to our Romantic Violin Concerto series—Alexander Vedernikov conducts the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in these fanciful works by Glazunov and Schoeck. There's a new series launched this month too: The Complete Mendelssohn Solo Piano Music will encompass six albums, all entrusted to the attentive care of Howard Shelley.

The Royal String Quartet continues to bring wonders from its native Poland, a new recording of the Penderecki & Lutoslawski String Quartets being no exception. And from closer to home, the eight-part polychoral Cantiones sacrae by Peter Philips are revelatory, Rupert Gough drawing enthralling textures from his Royal Holloway Choir and The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble.

Re-issued this month are Wells Cathedral Choir's recording of the popular Geoffrey Burgon Choral Music, and a wide-ranging survey of Stanford's Music for violin and piano from Paul Barritt and Catherine Edwards.