‘Stunning recording and utterly convincing performances’ (BBC Music Magazine Top 1000 CDs Guide)

‘The performances are stunning, the recordings most sumptuous’ (Gramophone)

‘Boy, do I like this disc. What a delight Bantock's music is—so full of vivid emotions, exotic flair, and elegant, lushly melodic writing’ (American Record Guide)

‘Luscious washes of sensual colour … ravishing harmonies’ (The Strad)

‘Performances on this recording are just too exhilarating for critical decorum. There is little reason to proclaim anything but heartfelt thanks to Hyperion for resurrecting another national musical treasure … a stunning issue. Pull the curtains, uncork a good bottle of wine, lie back in your favourite armchair and wallow in the wondrous perfection of it all. For me this is one of the CDs of the year’ (British Music Society Journal)

‘This glowingly atmospheric account of an unjustifiably neglected score is in every way a worthy successor to the three previous releases in this rewarding series. Another top quality release from the Hyperion stable’ (Classic CD)

‘Sappho is a bewitching song cycle in 10 sections, so succulently using the mezzo voice. Sapphic Poem is an equally gorgeous score superbly played by Lloyd Webber’ (Yorkshire Post)

‘This really is most welcome … an intoxicating celebration of love in all its guises … Sappho held me pretty spellbound, even on first acquaintance. No praise can be too high for Susan Bickley … [and] Tony Faulkner's stunningly natural engineering complements what is another triumphant addition to Hyperion's ongoing Bantock series’ (Gramophone)

‘Susan Bickley sings this erotic and exotic music with intense fervour. The Sapphic Poem is a companion piece and equally luscious’ (The Sunday Telegraph)

‘The heady soundscapes and chromatic opulence all make for a good wallow … gorgeous from start to finish’ (The Guardian)

‘His orchestration is fabulously colourful, his melodies strong and memorable, and his sense of drama would make Hollywood composers envious … Caristiona is hauntingly beautiful, Omar Khayyam is full of exotic allure (with real camel bells), and Thalaba may be hokum, but of the best quality. Stunning performances’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Another fine addition to the Bantock discography’ (Fanfare, USA)