Britten: A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28

“The Choir of New College, Oxford has a long association with this ever varied repertoire. They give fresh, confident readings – steered with firm authority by director Edward Higginbottom – of A Ceremony of Carols, Rejoice in the Lamb, Missa Brevis and shorter works. The Hymn to St Cecilia, to words of Auden, has particular joy and verve.” The Observer, 24th February 2013

“The two outstanding features are the high quality of the choral singing and the fairly relaxed pace throughout. Higginbottom has said that he finds some of Britten's metronome markings on the fast side...yet they use their time well, finding a depth of colour and expression that yields its own rewards.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2013

“Layton’s soprano and mezzos affect a purity that sounds “boyish”...Clayton’s Nicolas is more youthful-sounding than his predecessors (Pears, Tear, Langridge), but Layton captures the mystery-play-like drama of the saint’s life story.” Sunday Times, 30th September 2012

“A Christmas disc to savour.” Financial Times, 10th November 2012

“Layton’s singers do project beautifully, and their sheer security makes this Ceremony a gorgeous, invigorating experience...The moment when the adult Nicolas (beautifully sung by tenor Allan Clayton) suddenly reveals himself in The Birth of Nicolas will induce goose pimples of delight in sceptical listeners.” The Arts Desk, 17th November 2012

“The young ladies of Trinity College Cambridge Choir here are pleasantly smooth without becoming unctuously so. Yet neither do they lack ruggedness...Clayton is magnificent” MusicWeb International, November 2012

“Layton's flowing speeds underline the dramatic sequence of the carols...All the solo performances are impeccably shaped and harpist Sally Pryce makes light work of the fiendish accompaniments...Allan Clayton makes the role of Nicolas entirely his own. What a glorious voice!...The hearty sailors, Pickled Boys and St Trinian's-like piano duettists are all on top form. This is a beautiful and deeply affecting recording.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2012

“The clear-toned adult voices of the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, highlight qualities in the work often missed when performed by the more usual boys' choir...Perhaps Trinity sound too well-behaved to match the boisterous enthusiasm boys typically bring...[though] the gains in terms of technical assurance and expression make this a welcome recording of a well-loved work.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2013 ****

“Deft, precise and cleanly executed, these performances from The Sixteen's Britten choral series come up fresh as paint in this repackaging (A Boy was Born is the other main work).” BBC Music Magazine, December 2005 *****

“ A Ceremony of Carols sets nine medieval and 16th-century poems between the 'Hodie' of the plainsong Vespers. The sole accompanying instrument is a harp, but given the right acoustic, sensitive attention to the words and fine rhythmic control the piece has a remarkable richness and depth. The Westminster Cathedral Choir performs this work beautifully; diction is immaculate and the acoustic halo surrounding the voices gives a festive glow to the performance.
A fascinating Jubilate and A Hymn to theVirgin, while lacking the invention and subtlety of A Ceremony, intrigue with some particularly felicitous use of harmony and rhythm. Deus inadjutorum meum employs the choir without accompaniment and has an initial purity that gradually builds up in texture as the psalm (No 70) gathers momentum.
The Missa brevis was written for this very choir and George Malcolm's nurturing of a tonal brightness in the choir allowed Britten to use the voices in a more flexible and instrumental manner than usual. The effect is glorious. St Columba founded the monastery on the Scottish island of Iona and Britten's hymn sets his simple and forthright prayer with deceptive simplicity and directness. The choir sings beautifully and the recording is first rate.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“The singing of the Westminster boys here is particularly impressive, with perfect ensemble, the solo work amazingly mature, and a superb contribution from the solo harpist...an altogether outstanding collection, beautifully and atmospherically recorded in an ideal ambience.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition

“Ronald Corp directs bright, refreshing performances of a delightful collection of Britten choral pieces... A splendid bargain.” Penguin Guide

“the most enjoyable aspect of these early works is the ability of the boys to shape their melodic lines independently...The full sonorities of Bruckner’s choral writing are well suited to the rich sounds produced by these forces but occasionally lack rhythmic intensity and direction. These two CDs are a real snapshot of a former age. This is a great souvenir of a world-famous choir as they were at their prime and is an interesting comment on 1970s performance practice.” MusicWeb International, April 2013