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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'
Stephen Layton is on a roll. After his triumphant recordings of Pawel Lukaszewski's choral works he returns to Handel and three of the Chandos Anthems, "O Praise the Lord with One Consent", "Let God Arise" and "My Song Shall be Alway". His inspirational direction and choice of top soloists make this a welcome addition to earler recordings. The choir sings with their usual purity of tone and clear...
You've never heard anything quite like Sir John Tavener's "The Veil of the Temple." The work originated as an all-night, seven-hour Easter "vigil," in which form it received its U.S. premiere in July at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York. The British composer has condensed it to two hours for this first recording, taped live in London's famous Temple Church, which commissioned it and where...
'Layton and company have here produced the finest I've heard among several excellent collections of Lauridsen's work. None are quite as exquisitely nuanced or sung with such glowing vocal sheen as this. Clear and shimmering sound, plus Hyperion's usual complete and user-friendly booklet, make it all the more attractive. No committed choral fan or singer will ever regret letting Lauridsen into his...