They may have been intended only as pedagogical exercises, but the six Bach Cello Suites constitute one of those rare musical miracles which intersect the finite and the infinite. No one could accuse Alban Gerhardt of underestimating perhaps every cellist's 'ultimate challenge'—his words—and it's a challenge triumphantly surmounted in April's Record of the Month. Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto & works by Hiller, Herz & Kalkbrenner is a fascinating compendium of composers all of whom had personal or professional associations with Clara's future husband Robert. Howard Shelley brilliantly plays and, as ever, simultaneously directs the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in volume 78 of the Romantic Piano Concerto series.

The woodland interlude is exquisite, the triumphal march rousing: written shortly before the 'Enigma' Variations, Elgar's Caractacus hardly deserves the neglect which so swiftly overtook it. No Elgarian will want to miss this stupendous performance from Martyn Brabbins and the combined forces of the Huddersfield Choral Society and Orchestra of Opera North. English choral writing of a later generation comes courtesy of Tavener Angels & other choral works, an album celebrating Sir John's long and fruitful association with Winchester Cathedral Choir—here conducted by Andrew Lumsden—in a programme which includes some of the composer's best-loved music.

The Colin Currie Group—on the percussionist's own label—took centre-stage at a festival of all things Reich held in December 2017. Colin Currie & Steve Reich Live at Fondation Louis Vuitton is the distillation of the three thrill-bent concerts which ensued, and includes the rarely heard Proverb with the wonderful Synergy Vocals riding on a bed of vibraphone and electric organ.

The Easter story is brought to eclectic life on SDG with Love is come again. Sir John Eliot Gardiner and The Monteverdi Choir interweave the centuries in a series of tableaux which take us from Good Friday through to Jesus' appearance at the lake side, with music from the pinnacles of the Renaissance set in often startling poses.

The Huddersfield Choral Society returns on glorious form to Signum Classics for The Hymns Album, Vol. 2, twenty-four further glimpses into the culture of a nation over the generations. Gregory Batsleer conducts. The Complete Choral Works by Maurice Duruflé have been recorded by the Houston Chamber Choir under their director Robert Simpson. The composer may have written surprisingly little for choir, but with treasures such as his Requiem an enduring position in the canonic literature remains assured.

The music of King's is a freshly recorded compendium of choral favourites—classics of the repertoire plus the odd more unexpected item. Stephen Cleobury conducts a resplendent Choir of King's College Cambridge.

Iestyn Davies and Fretwork have recorded an intriguing new album for Signum. If & other songs by Michael Nyman intertwines twenty-first-century Purcellian re-imaginings with bold new harmonies and wondrous inventions to haunt the mind. And the Carducci String Quartet sees the second release in its on-going Shostakovich String Quartets cycle, here presenting Nos 1, 2 & 7.