SACDs - Bennett, R R

“The collective vocal heft of the ensemble's young choral scholars remains a potent weapon under Andrew Nethsinga's direction. He's a man of musical refinement, however, one ready and able to rein in eager tenors and basses where the melodic interest lies in the gift of his choir's boy trebles...This release stands out thanks to the commitment to quality and high artistic values shown here by St John's College Choir and Chandos.” Classic FM Magazine, Februrary 2012 *****

“This is a warming disc, eloquently sung by the choir of St John’s. There are some core Christmas hymns, but the bulk of the 24-track programme comprises some of the modern classics of the repertoire such as Elizabeth Poston’s Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and Joubert’s There is No Rose.” The Telegraph, 9th December 2011

“Hard to believe, but this is the first CD devoted solely to Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's extensive choral output. That it's a richly rewarding body of work is nowhere better exemplified than in the curtain-raiser, Sea Change (1984) a marvellously effective, 17-minute cycle to texts by Shakespeare, Andrew Marvell and Edmund Spenser. The Spenser setting thrillingly evokes the terrible monsters encountered by Sir Guyon during a stormy sea voyage by employing a technique akin to Sprechgesang, while the concluding 'Full fathom five' is a worthy successor to Vaughan Williams's setting in his Three ShakespeareSongs.
Whereas Sea Change minimally and subtly deploys tubular bells, A Farewell to Arms (2001) memorably incorporates an extensive role for solo cello and sets the same poems by Ralph Knevet and George Peele that Finzi first brought together for his 1945 diptych. It's a tenderly moving creation, as is the part-song 'A Good-Night' (1999) from the sequence A Garlandfor Linda. If Britten's shadow looms large over the Missa brevis (1990) for Canterbury Cathedral Choir, it's a no less appealing creation for all that.
Bouquets all round to John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers; theirs is a cappella singing of a very high order. Exemplary presentation and admirable sound, tastefully balanced within the comparatively intimate acoustic of the LSO's home, St Luke's in the City of London. A delightful anthology.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Beautifully sung and even more beautifully recorded…” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2005