Finzi: Let Us Garlands Bring, Op. 18

“You would have to look hard for a better introduction to Finzi… The songs are the core of his achievement… Roderick Williams's elegant and delicate performances reveal the heart of this music without forcing anything - and mercifully without that coyness that often mars Finzi performances. And Iain Burnside is an excellent partner…” BBC Music Magazine, June 2005 *****

“a baritone with pithy, but warm, rounded, never hard intonation, a piano accompanist who follows suit perfectly, music full of temperament, plus a accompanying personal note from the singer...Most impressive perhaps are the fresh and lively interpretations that make one forget that this is a studio production.” 16vor.de, 8th January 2013

“a rising young baritone with a powerfully operatic voice. Supported by Isabelle Trüb's acommpaniments, often rather more assertive and colourful than reticent Brits expect, he gives the Songs of Travel a distinctively dramatic edge...It's already had the good word from Sir Thomas Allen, and no wonder.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2013 *****

“[Pike] has a powerful, generous and malleable voice, that he puts to use with rare sensitivity...Trüb shows great sensitivity and admirable flexibility in the colours of her piano accompaniment, never ceasing to explore all the psychological finesses.” Luxemburger Wort, 22nd December 2012

“It is a real pleasure to make the acquaintance of David John Pike on this quite superb recording. The singer has all the qualities that one looks for in this repertoire: a well-focused and steady delivery, imaginative response to the text, and a real sense of legato.” MusicWeb International, 29th April 2013

“With the congenial accompaniment of pianist Isabelle Trüb he achieves a degree of emotional penetration not necessarily obvious with this repertoire. Pike finds the right voice, the right tone, for every song. A further strength is the warmth of his pleasantly nutty, powerful voice, calm breath control, a beautiful legato and good mastery of the mezzovoce.” Pizzicato Magazine

“There's a touch of genius about Bryn Terfel.
To those who've known most of these songs since childhood and heard them well performed innumerable times, it will come not quite as a revelation but more as the fulfilment of a deeply felt wish, instinctive rather than consciously formed. As in all the best Lieder singing, everything is specific: 'Fly away, breath' we recite, thinking nothing of it, but with this singer it's visual – we see it in flight, just as in Sea Fever we know in the very tiniest of gaps that in that second he has heard 'the seagulls crying'. As in all the best singing of songs, whatever the nationality, there's strong, vivid communication: he'll sometimes sing so softly that if he'd secured anything less than total involvement he'd lose us. There's breadth of phrase, variety of tone, alertness of rhythm.
All the musical virtues are there; and yet that seems to go only a little way towards accounting for what's special.One after another, these songs are brought to full life. There's a boldness about Terfel's art that could be perilous, but which, as exercised here, is marvellously well guided by musicianship, intelligence and the genuine flash of inspiration. Malcolm Martineau's playing is also a delight: his touch is as sure and illuminating as the singer's.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

"There can be no more golden a legend than Janet Baker singing English song..." Gramophone