‘Sung with real conviction by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘His anthems and services … are treasured within the church. Their touch is sure, and their word-setting is impeccable … Bairstow could hardly have finer advocates than David Hill's St John's Choir, beautiful in tone and balance, admirable clear in enunciation, well supported by rhythmic organ playing, and outstandingly well recorded’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘An excellent disc in regard both to the standard of performance and to the selection of Bairstow's music. And to that should be added straight away the quality of recorded sound … the recommendation for this new issue is confirmed most decisively by the inclusion of the Five Poems of the Spirit … Roderick Williams is the ideally suited soloist and the Britten Sinfonia do justice to a delightful score’ (Gramophone)

‘Binns makes a strong case for all three works playing them superbly’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘These three works make an excellent programme … all in all an admirably conceived and executed disc’ (Gramophone)

‘Danny Driver's recordings of York Bowen for Hyperion have enjoyed critical success; here he shows himself a sterling interpreter of Russian repertoire … Driver is most attentive to the musics nuances. The Mazurka second movement is another of contrasts and he captures the dance element perfectly, revelling in sometimes extreme ornamentation … the recording is first class, with great presence’ (International Piano)

‘Young British pianist, Danny Driver, produces all the technical fireworks needed’ (Yorkshire Post)

‘In the case of the Sonata, motifs of folk song add a distinctive tang to a work of unorthodox construction but fascinating originality. Bravo to Hyperion for championing this music and to Driver for playing it with such sensitivity, polish and élan’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘The three releases by the young British pianist Danny Driver have met with considerable acclaim. It's wonderful to see a talent such as this continuing to address the more obsure pianistic byways, and here Driver has assembled a fabulous array of works from Balakirev's very varied keyboard output … as ever, Hyperion provides recording quality and programme notes which are first class in every way’ (International Record Review)

‘Danny Driver continues his Hyperion exploration of the piano repertoire with delightful interpretations of Mily Balakirev. In particular, the piano sonata in B flat minor is a terrific, big-hearted piece, unlike anything else from its period, and its neglect in the concert hall is surely due a reappraisal … impressive playing throughout ensures that your finger won't stray far from the replay button’ (The Observer)

‘Stephen Layton conducts vital and immaculate performances. These works must be quite taxing and they’re not always as simple or as straightforward as they may sound. The singing is a pure joy from first to last. The recording lends an appropriately reverberant aura to the music. This splendid release perfectly complements Hyperion’s disc devoted to Dubra’s choral music, enthusiastically reviewed here a few months ago (Hail, Queen of Heaven). This disc will appeal strongly to all lovers of imaginative choral music, but others—I am sure—will find much to relish’ (MusicWeb International)

‘Soaring melodies, folklike tunes, drones with religious gravity, and stylized speech are all encompassed by these works, the biggest among them being Uģis Prauliņš' Missa Rigensis—one of the most original and personal settings of the Mass text imaginable. Best of all, this is a disc to live with: There's much to enjoy on first hearing, but all the pieces have dramatic new revelations on subsequent encounters’ (The Philadelphia Inquirer, USA)