Tallis: Sancte Deus

“The Tallis Scholars produce a distilled, transparent sound and the spiritual tone of their performance is one of serene contemplation through which the Requiem's ecstatic 'external light' shines.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2005 *****

“For the 1985 quatercentenary of Tallis's death, Peter Phillips and The Tallis Scholars produced this version of Spem in alium; in many respects it's clearly the most successful ever recorded.
Not only is the choir superb and the interpretation an intelligent one; this is also the only recording in which the eight choirs seem genuinely to sing from different positions in the stereo spread, a technical achievement that leads to some thrilling antiphonal exchanges. Above all, Phillips's reading is a confident and assertive one. The effect is more that of a plea than a prayer, and the overall shaping is most characterful.
Inevitably there are problems of balance, both at the top of the texture (several of the trebles are given rather too much prominence) and in the middle, where in full sections the music of the inner voices sometimes blends too readily into rich chords rather than emerging as a complex web of counterpoint. But these are relatively small complaints to be made against an outstanding achievement. This is a Spem inalium to be cherished.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Another success for Jeremy Summerly's Oxford Camerata.” BBC Music Magazine

“Sung with real passion and conviction [Valiant for Truth] is, for me, the highlight of the disc. From time to time the organ pedal is apt to boom...but this does not detract from the splendid and generally well-balanced sound of the choir and the carefully chosen programme.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2010

“I've been consistently impressed by the work of Benjamin Nicholas and his Tewkesbury singers on the Delphian label ... the recorded sound is never short on detail thanks not least to the full-blooded singing of Tewkesbury's boy choristers and smart engineering. The choir's men are on top form too … compelling energy. Terrific choral listening.” Classic FM Magazine, April 2009

“The variety of Tallis's music is amply demonstrated in this issue… This breadth of range allows the choir to show off a correspondingly wide range of expressive and interpretative skills.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2006