Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet (soprano), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano), Stuart Skelton (tenor) & Gerald Finley (baritone)
Trinity Boys Choir, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Philharmonia Chorus, BBC Symphony Chorus & BBC Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein
‘It went deeper down and reached higher up, it was bigger, broader, nobler and reached out more into the eternal than music as it is commonly understood and interpreted, or as any music than that heard by the great masters, has ever done. It is indeed a world heritage.’ Thus wrote the Labour MP Frederick Pethick-Lawrence after attending the premiere of A World Requiem on Armistice Night 1923, and his statement was typical of the audience reaction on that night.
“Anyone looking for the blazing, crazy brilliance of Foulds's Mantras, April-England or Dynamic Triptych is likely to come away with a very negative impression. There are occasional sparks of fire… But there's barely a hint of the visionary daring of the best Foulds.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2008 ***
“Foulds conducted A World Requiem's 1923 premiere at the Festival of Remembrance, using 1250 performers. This present performance, the first in more than 70 years, was given on Remembrance Day last year, and aside from a rather unwieldy soprano, is a triumph, with special praise due to baritone Gerald Finley and conductor Leon Botstein.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2008
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