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'MacMillan has a tremendous gift for making the simple resonate; the 2001 Te Deum, a first recording, shows he also knows just how to freshen an ageing choral tradition. Some fantastic singing here; and glorious music'
'James MacMillan's work is informed by his Catholic faith, but rarely has he communicated his spiritual message as effectively as in this large-scale piece. Perhaps Haydn's example has forced him to raise his game, or maybe it was the heartrending text: either way, this is a modern choral masterpiece, and Stephen Layton and his forces its ideal interpreters'
In an ideal world, Hyperion's August disc of the month would sell by the truckload. The sheer quality of James MacMillan's Seven Last Words, the intensity of Stephen Layton's interpretation and the unrestrained, heartfelt performances of Polyphony and the Britten Sinfonia should guarantee critical acclaim'
Best buy (opera/vocal) September 2005
In the decade since Stephen Layton’s Polyphony made the premiere recording of MacMillan’s Seven Last Words, choir and conductor have matured in all the best ways. This new Hyperion disc, which includes the first recordings of the Scottish composer’s recent Te Deum and On the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, offers an emotionally charged counterblast to...
'an intense, deeply felt interpretation, full of beautiful and affecting singing, with all the elements - string orchestra, featured violin, choir and soloists - nicely balanced … As ever, MacMillan incorporates all his allusions, including those to Scottish traditional music, into an utterly individual style. The performance confirms Polyphony's place in the front rank of choirs'
This splendid new performance from Polyphony also conveys dignity, and a sense (hard to explain) that the suffering is, in some mysterious way, redemptive. Easier to quantify, the singing is also remarkably secure technically, the ensemble near perfect. Beautiful, powerful playing too from the Britten Sinfonia'