„Kurz und gut: Dieses Album ist hochgradig inspirierend. Vermittelt es doch nicht nur einen absolut frappierenden Einblick in die britische Chormusik der letzten zwei Jahrhunderte. Es zeigt auch, mit wie viel Inbrunst und Hingabe selbst als eher „säkular“ bekannte Komponisten Musik schrieben, wenn es um die Ehrerbietung für die heilige Cäcilia ging. Man könnte meinen, in vielen dieser Stücke würde der Musik selbst gehuldigt. Nikolaus Harnoncourt nannte die Musik sinngemäß einmal einen „Strahl des Göttlichen, der in unser weltliches Leben scheint“, und das fasst diese CD vielleicht besser zusammen, als man es mit vielen anderen Worten beschreiben könnte.

Dank des britischen High Quality-Labels Hyperion ist auch der Sound ausgezeichnet ausgefallen, sodass man eine Natürlichkeit des Klangeindrucks erhält, die man auf anderen Chormusik-CDs leider allzu oft mit der Lupe suchen muss. Großartig“ (The Listener, Germany)» More

‘Hewitt’s account, characteristically, is clean and precise but always pianistic—she never seems, like some pianists, to be imitating a harpsichord, whereas her delicate touch means that the music is not burdened with undue heaviness. Her ‘Contrapunctus 2’, for example, dances with carefree abandon. Hewitt is fluent and homogenous, her effective expressive and dynamic contrasts made subtly within an overarching, unifying concept, solemn but not overbearing’ (International Record Review)» More

‘There will always be a special place for playing of Marc-André Hamelin’s quality and insight … The discretion of his pedal work and dynamic control creates layered vistas of perspective, with the notes themselves nuanced precisely to the graphic character of the music at any given moment. The effect is akin to standing in front of a painting and allowing eyes and brain to synch and study every detail, while still nailing the whole picture … With beautifully wrought sound that captures just the right amount of ambient space around a Steinway that must have been prepared by a master technician, seize the day or night with Hamelin at the earliest opportunity. He offers much to learn from as well as to wonder at’ (International Record Review)» More

‘Gabriel Jackson's La Musique is attractive and beautifully imagined; this is another example of Jackson’s highly inventive ear for unaccompanied choral textures. The soprano solo line, which is a gift for a singer like Dame Felicity, contrasts with and complements the choral parts most effectively. The music is gorgeous, not least the soft, rapt conclusion … this is a most interesting and nicely varied programme of music. The singing is consistently fine. The choir’s blend is excellent and I admire very much the fresh tone that they produce. Rupert Gough, as we know from previous releases, trains his choir marvellously and this disc is another notable achievement. With Adrian Peacock and David Hinitt serving as producer and engineer respectively it’s no surprise that the recordings are excellent. Quite a few of these pieces will be unfamiliar to many collectors, which adds to the attraction of this splendid disc’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Schumann’s eight Novelletten form the biggest and arguably the most challenging of his piano cycles ... The demands of sustaining the strenuous emotional pitch over the work’s 50-minute span are such that it’s rarely performed whole, either in concert or on disc. Danny Driver, however, who is going from strength to strength at the moment, turns in a powerhouse performance on his new Schumann album, playing with great technical prowess, and admirably alert to the fluctuations of mood and feeling within the prevailing intensity of the whole. His subtle, deeply felt reading of the melancholy Nachtstücke of 1839 provides contrast and relief, and the recital closes with the calm Romanze in F sharp, exquisitely done. Recommended’ (The Guardian)» More

‘This is a performance where character and rich dimension emerge from within a patient and naturally projected vision of Bach’s most celebrated compendium. The work infrequently speaks with such gracefulness, freedom or conviction’ (Gramophone)

‘Shelley plays all these pieces as stylishly as ever … these pieces are a real find, and the disc augurs well for the series’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

'An engaging and admirable performance … what’s not to like about this release? Highly recommended' (Choir & Organ)

„[Die zwei Konzerte] selbst nun wirklich alles haben, was man sich nur wünchen mag: Einfallsreichtum, Geschmack, Esprit, Kraft—um nur diese Eigenschaften zu nennen. Ein weiteres Highlight der großen Reihe!“ (Piano News, Germany)» More

‘This new recital has proved something of a revelation. Steven Osborne’s recording of the expansive Sonata Romantica, Op. 53 No. 1, reveals colours, and light and shade, that made me listen to the work anew. Lasting almost 25 minutes, this is a big piece, and what’s so impressive about Osborne’s account is not only the superlative technical command but the musical imagination he brings to the work – finding a range of nuance and expressive depth that makes the most urgent and compelling case for large- scale Medtner that I’ve ever come across’ (International Record Review)» More

‘This disc offers a stimulating programme, beautifully performed and very well recorded. The choir is on excellent form and the soloists drawn from its ranks also deserve separate commendation, helping to make this a fine contribution to this year’s remembrance observations’ (International Record Review)» More

‘Portuguese-born Artur Pizarro is a natural choice for this repertoire. (A charming booklet photograph shows him as a boy with his teacher, Evaristo de Campos Coelho, who gave the first complete performance of Napoleão’s Concerto.) His playing has all the dash and flair the pieces demand, and the gentler, more lyrical passages are played with an evident understanding of the idiom. He is a brilliant champion for these neglected works. Martyn Brabbins and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide the solid support we now expect of them. I hope they thoroughly enjoyed themselves; it certainly seems so. The recording is well up to the exalted standards of the house’ (International Record Review)» More