“Spem is taken at a brisk canter, dressed in brightly coloured plumage, and with its words English'd. The celebratory atmosphere is reinforced by the addition of viols, winds and brass.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2010
“Spem is literally a surround-sound piece, so this recording, the first to use the latest technology in new audio formats, gets closer than most. The Sixteen (enlarged to the requisite 40) have a suitably festive air for this, their 25th anniversary recording.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010