Leading British soprano Sophie Bevan performs a sumptuous programme of concert arias by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Bevan is accompanied on this new recording by The Mozartists, recently launched by Ian Page's internationally renowned period ensemble Classical Opera as an expansion of its continuing exploration of Mozart and his contemporaries. Complementing Classical Opera's ongoing recording series of complete operas of Mozart, the creation of The Mozartists reflects the group's expanding repertoire and ambitious plans, and they can be heard in concert from September, 2017.

This second disc with the Choir of the Queen's College Oxford is centered around the concept of "revelation", both divine revelation (particularly the apocalyptic visions fo the book of Revelation) and revelatory visions of earth and heaven. The bulk of the pieces on the recording are inspired by the extraordinary visions of John, the writer of th eBook of Revelation, describing the ravaging of the world through divine judgement, the battles between good and evil, and the world's eventual remaking as "a new heaven and a new earth" in which death and suffering are no more. The album features three new commissions, by Phillip Cooke, Toby Young and Marco Galvani, who was a final-year student at queen's at the time of recording.

Early music consort Contrapunctus returns on Signum for their second release in the series centered on music of the Baldwin Partbooks. John Baldwin was a member of the choir of St. George's chapel, Windsor, and his transcriptions during the 1570's and 80's create one of the greatest surviving collections of Marian polyphony, composed during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary Tudor. This volume explores texts celebrating Mary as Mother of God, and on the Virgin and her child. Contrapunctus, led by Owen Rees, couple powerful interpretations with pioneering scholarship. Currently Vocal Consort in Residence at Oxford University, the ensemble's first two recordings, Libera nos and In the Midst of Life, were both shortlisted for the Gramophone Early Music Award.

Gallicantus performs music surrounding the fascinating yet tragic story of Queen Mary Tudor's "phantom pregnancy". On April 30th, 1555 the city of London celebrated the birth of a health male heir, but abruptly ceased the next day after the news was revealed to be nothing but rumor. There was to be no heir, with gossip and speculation surrounding the tale of Mary's pregnancy from that day onwards. The music performed here resonates with the circumstances of the mid 1550's, including items composed outside of Mary's reign: from the royal ceremonies in which Mary participated as queen, and music directly tied to the specific events of 1554-1555. This includes a newly-reconstructed Litany which was performed during Mary's assumed pregnancy. The viewpoint shifts from the streets of London and its suburbs, through the ceremonial grandeur of the royal palaces and their chapels, to the intimacy of the Privy Chamber itself.

Tamsin Waley-Cohen continues her series of concerto recordings on this release with works by contrasting American composers. Already considered by many to be a mdoern classic, John Adams' Violin Concerto was described by the composer as having a "hypermelody", in which the soloist plays long phrases without stop for the uration of the piece. Although composed in 1949, the first performance of Roy Harris's Violin Concerto didn't occur until 1984. Since then it has been championed for it's "luminous orchestration and exalted tone."

REVIEW:

Roy Harris' 1949 Violin Concerto is an ambitious work, sprawling but dynamic. Slower sections are rhapsodic, drawn-out and soariing, while more driven passages have the wide open landscape sound so evocative of the US. The exuberant opening and abrupt ending sound more modern; they could almost be by John Adams, whose dense, multi-layered 1993 concerto is the other work recorded here. Tamsin Waley-Cohen handles its grueling solo part with athleticism and conviction, and both pieces benefit from the punchy playing of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and insightful conducting of Andrew Litton.
– Guardian (UK)

Alexandra Dariescu makes her concerto debut with Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Alexandra Dariescu has garnered an impressive reputation for her outstanding solo recordings and concert performances and was recently named as one of 30 pianists under 30 destined for a spectacular career in the International Piano Magazine.

The St. John's College Choir (men and boys) has enjoyed wide success with previous holiday releases, partly due to excellent engineering, more due to the clarity of the choral singing, and most of all due to the fresh and coherent programming concepts offered by director Andrew Nethsingha. Here you get a variety of short pieces rooted in, but not hewing to, traditional carols, a few by well-known composers (John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Peter Warlock), the majority by names that will be new even to many English listeners. The overall mood is meditative, with just a few of the bumping-along, organ-accompanied sorts of work; much of the music is a cappella. A wonderful holiday release with a good measure of seriousness.

– All Music Guide (James Manheim)

This new release is the Christmas equivalent of The King’s Singers’ recent release, Great American Songbook. Paying homage to the a capella group’s heritage while still acknowledging their modern passion for swing, the group mixes Christmas classics like “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “The Holly and the Ivy,” with modern tunes such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Sleigh Ride.” The group’s favorite arrangers have reworked all of these tunes specifically for the ensemble- Berty Rice, Keith Roberts, and Alexander L’Estrange.

REVIEW:

The latest King’s Singers CD, a seasonal celebration from Signum Classics, mixes well-known American carols with some from “the other side of the pond.” The result is a blend that... is every bit as smooth as a perfectly prepared cup of hot cocoa, and just as warming.

The exceptional adaptability of the King’s Singers is shown in the handling here of songs as different as Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and White Christmas, either of which could easily be a throwaway and neither of which is. The group’s beautiful melding is apparent in different ways in numbers such as The First Nowell and Silent Night. The King’s Singers simply have a way of bringing joy to the world.

– Infodad.com

This new release from The Choir of Chapel Royal features Christmas carols both old and new. These songs were recorded in St. James’s Palace, London, and the stunning acoustics can be heard in each track. Huw Williams currently serves as Director of Music at Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace. He also directs Cantemus Chamber Choir and Stroud Choral Society, and is on the faculty at Eton College.

Tenebrae and Nigel Short present this new release of compositions by Alexander L’Estrange. Alexander L’Estrange is one of Britain’s most popular and most frequently performed living choral composers. “One gorgeous piece after another… this is an album I will return to again and again; I recommend it warmly to all lovers of choral music.” (John Rutter)

This outstanding performance was recorded as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s 70th concert season. Led by Honorary Conductor for Life Christoph von Dohnanyi, this recording was taken live at the Royal Festival Hall in October of 2015. Believed by many to be Schubert’s greatest symphony, this work is interpreted by Dohnanyi beautifully, and with grandeur and intensity.

Also available: Handel in Italy, Vol. 2 / Cunningham, London Early Opera

All of the pieces chosen for this new release center around the theme of evening time. Mark Williams and his Choir of Jesus College Cambridge have released four prior albums with Signum, all of which have gained critical praise. The programme of this album blends ancient and modern, featuring works from Thomas Tallis, William Harris, Gustav Holst, and many more.

How Fair Thou Art - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525/6-1594) This selection from the Palestrina's settings of The Song of Songs is interspersed by four of the composer's Marian antiphons. Once you get used to the close recording and The King's Singers' distinctive 'barbershop' sound, these performances are highly enjoyable, benefiting from the singers' diffident and yet expressive approach. Just occasionally the very close recording shows the alto voices at a disadvantage, but the singing is generally of a very high quality and the readings of these beautiful pieces is intelligent and sensuous. I take a little bit of exception to the title with it's presumably intentionally punning use of the phrase 'Biblical Passions'-the Passion has a very specific religious meaning, and it's extension to embrace the erotic underpinning of The Song of Songs makes something of a nonsense of this. It is not entirely clear what context Palestrina's Song of Songs settings were intended for, but if-as seems likely-they were for private domestic consumption, then I am sure that the earliest performances would have sounded very much like the present recording. It is interesting to hear the Marian antiphons in the same context-almost certainly written for liturgical choral presentation, they work equally well sung by reduced forces and in a smaller acoustic. Indeed without listening closely to the texts, it would be difficult to differentiate the two repertoires from one another. Early Music Review

Ireland’s leading collegiate choral ensemble, The Choral Scholars of University College Dublin bring us their first recording on Signum. The program of this album is a blend of Scottish and Irish music, themed around water and farewell. Conductor Desmond Early says of the album, “It is happy coincidence that the title of this disc, Invisible Stars, and the motto of University College Dublin – Ad Astra (to the stars) - connect in this... This recording is our celebration of creativity, talent, and youthful energy, and at the same time a gesture of remembrance toward the many 'invisible stars' who went before us a century ago."

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REVIEWS:

Blending ‘folk’ voices with choral precision tight harmony isn’t easy but Desmond Earley has a passionate stake in both and doesn’t put a foot wrong here.

– Choir & Organ

For sheer beauty of sound and contemplative luxuriousness, this debut by the mixed-voice Choral Scholars of University College, Dublin is an altogether captivating experience. Lovers of elegantly crafted singing will find much to enjoy here in a survey of Irish and Scottish songs that also reaches across the Atlantic in the Appalachian-accented Black is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair … Vocal solos are pristinely realised, the ensemble sound gilded and glowing.

– Classical Ear

Lullabies for Mila is dedicated to Alessio Bax’s daughter, Mila. The album begins with a moving dedication: “This album is not only a carefully curated playlist of soothing classics to calm a baby and perhaps make him or her fall asleep quicker. It is also a gift from parents to their children, with the hope that they will share music with their loved ones, not just to entertain them but also to enrich their lives.”; This disc compiles works from Bax’s past Signum albums, including performances with Southbank Sinfonia and Lucille Chung. It also contains a new recording of the Grieg’s Nocturne from his Lyric Pieces.; Alessio Bax is a celebrated and award-winning pianist. Gramophone says “His playing quivers with an almost hypnotic intensity,” and the Dallas Morning News calls it “an out of body experience.” He has performed as a soloist with over 100 orchestras.

A beautiful collection of songs, Only a Singing Bird features Michael Head's best-known works, The Ships of Arcady and The Little Road to Bethlehem, as well as his beautifully-imagined, nostalgic song-cycle, Snowbirds. NYCoS National Girls Choir is joined by it's patron and world renowned mezzo soprano, Karen Cargill for this incredible new recording.

The Rodolfus Choir return to Signum with a stunning new collection of choral works drawn from composers spanning over 500 years. Ralph Allwood MBE introduces the program and the personal inspiration behind it: The concept of time is so rich that it has inspired a large body of writing and musical setting. This collection is a tribute to my father, because I learnt so much about time from him. Mathematician and philosopher, theologian, musician and physicist, he was fascinated by our perception of time, and he and I had many discussions about it's nature. In a trivial sense, music traces the passage of time, but also, as with all events, manipulates it. A watch traces a different pattern of time during events. But who is to say that the watch is 'right'.

The most fun part of my job is figuring out what to play live. There's an infinite choice of immense, immortal music and I always try and design concert programs a bit like a set list for the audience. For this compilation (of my personal recordings from the last six years) I wanted to carry on in that vein and so I've made it a mix tape - these are the pieces that come up in my head unwarranted at 4am to get me through another rotten night of insomnia. These are the ones that always give me hope and a reason to hang on in there - because if music like this can exist then there is simply no question that the good outweighs the bad. They are my inside tracks. James Rhodes, 2015

A lasting love affair with the clarinet amongst composers from the dawn until the dusk of the Romantic era (i.e. from Schubert to Strauss) is the key takeaway of this Signum release. In recognition, a trio of leading British soloists - clarinetist Julian Bliss, soprano Ailish Tynan and pianist Christopher Glynn - perform a sumptuous selection of the era's chamber music by Brahms, Chopin, Schubert, Schumann and Richard Strauss. The program is centered around Schubert's iconic The Shepherd on the Rock, virtually the final complete work that Schubert composed before his tragic death in 1828, age 31.

This new and highly-anticipated release of three symphonies of Franz Joseph Haydn follows the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Rebecca Miller's acclaimed recording of the works of CPE Bach with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment: "Self-critical perspective is clearly not a problem for these artists... The unfurling description of a lover's kisses permit all kinds of glorious opportunities for the singers' seemingly telepathic understanding for chiaroscuro, impeccable tuning and innate grammatical sense" (Gramophone, Editor's Choice, May 2015)

Described as “phenomenal” (The Times) and “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone Magazine), the BBC Music Magazine Award award-winning choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles renowned for its passion and precision return to disc on Signum with a sumptuous album of Carols, Hymns and other celebratory works for Christmas. Among the composers to feature on this disc are John Gardner, Peter Warlock, Philip Ledger and Arnold Bax, A singer of great acclaim, Nigel Short was a member of the world-renowned vocal ensemble The King’s Singers from 1994–2000. Upon leaving the group, he formed Tenebrae, a virtuosic choir that embraced his dedication to passion and precision.

REVIEW:

If you’re looking for a collection of Christmas music that includes a lot of pieces you don’t often hear, don’t overlook this outstanding release. Lovers of choral music will need no introduction to Tenebrae, a superb mixed chorus of around 16. This is their third album of Christmas music, and it is the most interesting of the three.

– American Record Guide

For his latest solo album in a growing catalog of increasingly critically praised recordings for Signum Classics, Alessio Bax returns with a program of rich and evocative works for piano by Modest Mussorgsky and Alexander Scriabin. The Italian-born, NYC-based pianist Alessio Bax creates “a ravishing listening experience” with his lyrical playing, insightful interpretations, and dazzling facility. “His playing quivers with an almost hypnotic intensity,” says Gramophone magazine, leading to what Dallas Morning News calls “an out-of-body experience.” “…a pianist of refreshing depth.” (International Piano) Alessio Bax plays Beethoven, released in 2014, was a Gramophone Editor’s Choice: “'Even when compared to legendary performances of this sonata (Kempff, Richter, Gilels, Brendel, etc), this performance stands its ground in music to test the technique and intellect of even the greatest pianists.”

A double album of new works to confirm Chilcott’s status as one of the most popular choral composers of today. The Angry Planet ('An Environmental Cantata' commissioned for the BBC Proms in 2012) sees the precision and skill of the BBC Singers and The Bach Choir conflated with the exuberance of a veritable army of young singers.

11-year-old Alice lives in the not terribly exciting town of Grimthorpe. On a boring Wednesday in the summer holidays Alice’s family, wandering around town, gets caught in a downpour. They rush into the nearest shelter, which turns out to be a pet shop – much to Alice’s parents’ delight. Alice is lost in a daydream of exotic holidays... Suddenly she is jolted out of her reverie by one of the animals – a white rabbit – who starts talking to her... Opera Holland Park’s production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a family opera by composer Will Todd and librettist Maggie Gottlieb, comes to CD for the first time after two critically praised runs in 2013 and 2014.