‘The energy in the boys' voices is thrilling: they sear through the complex texture with evangelical zeal … this recording showcases the contrasts of style which made the 16th century such a fertile period of composition, and shows how the tradition of singing services at Westminster Abbey has continued unbroken for so many centuries’ (Early Music Review)

‘Sheppard's sublime Libera nos unfolds like a hothouse flower amid other blooms from Tye, Tallis, Mundy and White’ (The Observer)

‘In this brilliantly conceived programme … O'Donnell's superlative choir are peerless’ (The Sunday Times)

‘This latest addition to Hyperion's excellent Westminster Abbey series presents a fascinating snapshot of the musical upheavals created by Queen Mary's death and Elizabeth I's accession in 1558. Sheppard's Second Evening Service, composed in that year in a syllabic yet sonorously polyphonic style, marks the watershed between richly textured and highly elaborated Latin pieces, such as Mundy's Vox Patris caelestis, and the beautiful simplicity of Byrd's Teach me, O Lord. Recusant musical activity is also represented by Byrd's profoundly moving Ne irascaris’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘This is spectacularly fine singing, with James O'Donnell's obvious affection for the repertoire drawing from both boys and men some exquisite performances … the Westminster choir's most beautiful release to date’ (International Record Review)

‘The Choir of Westminster Abbey sings fresh, committed and emotionally compelling accounts. Many overpowering moments take place during Mundy's Vox Patris Caelestis … James O'Donnell shapes vocal lines with a keen sense of drama … the brilliance of the programming matches that of the singing’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The beauties of this disc of 16th century choral music are many and various. The repertoire's selection and arrangement is inspired, the singing some of the best I've heard on CD … as a showcase for English choral singing at its most charismatic, this deserves to be widely heard’ (Gramophone)

‘If like me, your knowledge of Mexican music was previously, shall we say undeveloped, you may similarly be stunned by the treasures unveiled here’ (Music, USA)

‘Delectable though this music is, it needs performers who can do it justice, and James O'Donnell and his choir do that and then some. Whether depicting a soul thirsting for the Lord's rest, or giving thanks for salvation, the smooth trebles soar into the rafters of Westminster. This is a CD that brings the listener one step closer to heaven’ (bbc.co.uk)

‘A first-class production’ (Hi Fi World)

‘Hyperion has an extraordinary gift for detecting repertoire which leaves us wondering how we ever lived without it’ (BBC CD Review)

‘Wonderful repertoire almost totally unrepresented before on record’ (BBC Music Magazine)