‘Rarely recorded, there’s a sense of the special occasion about this new one from the University of Birmingham Voices and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins … Brabbins embraces the Romantic grandeur of Stanford’s vision’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Des canyons aux étoiles contains fabulously imagined, visionary music. It doesn’t perhaps have the immediate sensory appeal of Turangalîla-symphonie and, of course, between the late 1940s when he wrote the symphony and the early 1970s when Des canyons came into being, Messiaen’s musical language had evolved and developed; in so doing, it had become rather more challenging. That said, Des canyons is a hugely rewarding score and one that appeals to the senses. It’s a formidable achievement; another of the composer’s great hymns to Creation and his Creator—though you certainly don’t need to subscribe to Messiaen’s religious ethos to appreciate this score. The present performance is superb in every respect and the musicians’ skills are complemented by an excellent recording which enables all the myriad details of Messiaen’s scoring to shine though. Paul Griffiths’ notes guide the listener through the key points of the work’ (MusicWeb International)

‘Music that you want to sing, want to programme liturgically … O magnum mysterium has a graceful sincerity about it, while Surge amica takes the excuse of its Song of Songs text to get sexy, smearing and smudging chords with reckless, generous depth … Trinity are on fine form: youthful, but firmly muscled and fearless, with Layton encouraging an open, fuller sound than the Oxbridge standard’ (Gramophone)

‘No one who loves this glorious music could have hoped for a better finish … the more I returned to these performances, the more I found myself warming to their fantasy, their disciplined spontaneity and their cumulative insights … as well as the buoyancy and silvery quality of the LHQ’s vibrato-light playing, there’s a real sense of invention—of making the music afresh—with a questioning, almost improvisatory quality to the great ascending violin solo at the climax of Op 77 No 2’s slow movement. Dotted rhythms have a spirited kick. The players spring away from the earthy bagpipe drones in the finale of Op 77 No 1, and at both the start and finish of the finale of Op 77 No 2 it sounds as if they’re inventing the music on the wing. The final bars feel entirely satisfying and anything but valedictory … if you have enjoyed this cycle so far, you will not be disappointed’ (Gramophone)

‘Brabbins, who truly understands the language of this music, judges the tempos and balance of the ensemble with instinctive sensitivity; his handling of the chorus—the University of Birmingham Voices—is outstanding, and he genuinely brings out the luminosity of Stanford’s lustrous orchestration, which is splendidly executed by the CBSO, especially in the lovely solos of the 'Dies irae', the arresting climax of the ‘Lacrimosa’, the swirling Rhinegold-like figurations of the 'Sanctus' and the solemn funeral cortege of the 'Agnus' … the chorus sing throughout with a youthful clarity, beauty of tone and lovely intonation … in 1997 the Requiem was issued by Marco Polo … a most welcome recording at the time, but there is much more to learn about Stanford’s choral masterpiece from the more cohesive architecture, sound and élan of this vibrant new issue from Hyperion. For anyone interested in British choral music of the period, it is a must!’ (Gramophone)

‘The CBSO plays splendidly throughout. The collective response is sonorous and there’s an abundance of expert solo work to enjoy and admire The performance could not be in better hands than those of Martyn Brabbins. His conducting demonstrates evident empathy with the score and it seems clear that he brings out the best in all the performers. Phil Rowlands led the engineering team for this recording and the sound is first rate. The climaxes open up warmly and the listener gets a good sense of the perspectives in the hall. Stanford’s Requiem is a noble work and it’s an important score among his compositions. Like much of the rest of his output, it fell into neglect after his death but, as this fine performance demonstrates, that neglect was wholly unjustified. 2024 will mark the centenary of his death … this recording of the Requiem offers us something to whet our appetite for the centenary year. It was in Birmingham that the work was first performed; 125 years later, the city did Stanford’s memory proud’ (MusicWeb International)

‘This is a wonderful follow-up to Lane’s previous Goes to Town album. Younger pianists should take note; a judiciously curated disc of encore-style music such as this offers a joyful listening experience that will likely prove more lasting than yet another Beethoven cycle or Liszt sonata’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘A decade after the Australian pianist’s first disc of party pieces, encores and lollipops, the follow-up: this new one is sheer delight … [Robert Constable’s ‘Nocturne’ is] played with just the right kind of louche, seductive sense of filmic romance … so many delights in this album, from Schubert and Szymanowski to Billy Mayerl, Mozart spreading butter on a piece of bread(!), even Winifred Atwell’s Pot Black theme: it’s another love letter to the piano’ (BBC Record Review)

‘What an unfailingly delightful compilation it is … an enchanting programme, affectionately and intimately performed’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Rarely performed and long overshadowed by his justly beloved compositions for the Anglican choral canon, Stanford’s Requiem merits deeper investigation and wider exposure. It has a curiously optimistic mien, given the sense of grief, gravitas and doom that settings of requiem are expected to impart. Yet, as this fine account by Brabbins, the CBSO and stellar soloists and choir demonstrate, the composer’s persuasive response is imbued with compassion and celebration as much as it is by fear and fatalism’ (The Sunday Times)

‘This partnership works well, doesn’t it—Esfahani’s delicate fingerwork and expressive ingenuity on harpsichord and clavichord, and his spontaneous flourishes and attractive ornamentation, combined with the simplicity and accuracy of Sampson’s soprano. Intimate entertainment of the highest quality’ (BBC Record Review)

'Música callada' er skitser. Korte, indadvendte musikalske tanker, der har retning nedad. Men der er alligevel spor af catalansk-spansk flamboyance under den cool overflade, og med den australskbritiske pianist Stephen Hough ved tangenterne får man de skrøbelige satser spillet til perfektion. Klangligt meget smukt forløst på det altid kvalitetsbevidste engelske plademærke Hyperion … har du aldrig hørt om Mompou, er Houghs nye indspilning af alle fire bøger af 'Música callada' en chance. Hjemme hos mig kører albummet i konstant rotation' (Politiken, Denmark)