Following on the success of Joseph Nolan's appearance in Music for the Coronation of James 2nd (SIGCD094), he returns to Signum with a solo disc of organ music, capturing music from some of the finest composers of the instrument. With J.S. Bach's famous Passacaglia in C Minor to Noel Rawsthorne's Dance Suite, with inspiration from Michael Flatley's 'Lord of the Dance' this disc certainly pushes the boundaries of organ music. 'A debut disc of a player demonstrating considerable & technical assurance, we should look forward to his next disc.' - Organists Review on SIGCD094 'Music for the Coronation of James 2nd'

Includes work(s) by Michael Tippett. Ensemble: BBC Singers. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.

This could have been just another viol consort disc, but instead it manages to offer some unique and worthwhile perspectives on works by the Couperins--Louis, François, and Armand-Louis--and throws in some very attractive pieces by Jacques Duphly, Marin Marais, Louis-Antoine Dornel, Pierre Dumage, and Michel Corrette. Don't worry if most of these names aren't familiar: the music, some presented in its original form, the rest in artful arrangements by members of the early music ensemble Charivari Agréable ("pleasant tumult"), is eminently listenable and musically satisfying. The Couperins composed mostly for organ and harpsichord, and several of the works here are arranged or adapted from keyboard pieces, most notably François' "Les barricades mistérieuses", whose sensuous, flowing, suspension-laden lines prove well-suited to a solo theorbo. The bass viol also figures prominently--and unusually--in Corrette's Le Phénix, a concerto for four bass viols, and in François Couperin's La Sultane (for two bass viols), the composer's "attempt" to write a piece in the style of Corelli. Perhaps the most striking of all the works on this program are two by Duphly, "La Madin" and "La Casaubon". Originally for keyboard, the composer also included violin accompaniments; but in this version, harpsichordist Kah-Ming Ng has created settings for two solo treble viols and keyboard that are so thoroughly engaging that you'll likely want an immediate repeat performance.

The seven performers from the UK-based Charivari Agréable are experienced early music practitioners who have made their mark particularly in performances and recordings of French baroque music. They certainly have a knack for finding appropriate repertoire and, where useful or necessary, adapting it for their own style and instrumentation--a practice fully consistent with that of 17th and 18th century musicians. The sound is bright and resonant, wanting only a bit more warmth. This is an intelligently created and expertly played program that shouldn't be overlooked by fans of Baroque instrumental chamber music.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

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Includes work(s) by various composers. Ensemble: Chapelle du Roi. Conductor: Alistair Dixon.

I was delighted to find John Ireland’s fresh and gently ecstatic Passiontide motet had been included. The ladies of Tenebrae sing it with a marvellous sense of open-eyed wonder. The two Russian items are also most successful although I did wonder why the Rachmaninov piece was sung in English. It’s given a beautiful performance even if these English singers lack the sheer amplitude of sound that a Slavic choir would have at its disposal. The offering by Sheremetiev was completely new to me – indeed, I can’t recall hearing any music by this composer before. Now ye heavenly powers, which is sung in Russian, is for male voices. It’s described in the notes as “quietly powerful” and that’s a very apt description. The music is mainly subdued in tone and the piece has a grave beauty that’s most attractive. Even more affecting is the other Eastern European piece, Kodály’s Esti Dal. This setting of a Northern Hungarian song is a little gem. It is sung in the original language and features a lovely soprano solo, one of several solos during the course of the programme, all of which are taken excellently from within the choir’s ranks.

Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia is a terrifically inventive piece of music in which the composer shows real flair in his writing for unaccompanied choir, even if Auden’s text seems rather high-flown in its imagery and somewhat verbose. Tenebrae not only rise to its manifold challenges but also surmount them with ease. They are excellent too in Holst’s splendid setting of Psalm 148, receiving marvellous support from Jeremy Filsell at the organ.

But in many ways the best is saved for last. Sir William Harris’s sumptuous setting for double choir of words by Edmund Spenser is, for me, one of the glories of English church music. It moves from the rarefied celestial atmosphere of the quiet opening to the blazing conviction and excitement of the passage at “And those eternall burning Seraphims” – Tenebrae are marvellous here – before the pacific mood returns at the close. The performance of this miniature masterpiece is thrilling in every respect. Indeed, I feel that here Nigel Short and his singers come close to realising the “endlesse perfectnesse” of which Spenser speaks.

This is an outstanding disc, which I have enjoyed greatly. The sheer quality of singing has always impressed me on the previous discs I’ve heard from this choir and, indeed, when I’ve heard them live. This new release is as good as any I’ve heard from them. The engineering is excellent and the disc comes with a good booklet including full texts. Another winner from Tenebrae!

-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International

A stellar line up of soloists, conductor, choir and orchestra combine forces in the remastered 2 CD set of Mozart's arrangement of Handel's much loved 'Messiah'. In April 1742, shortly after the first performance of Messiah in Dublin for the city's Charitable Musical Society, the Dublin Journal reported that the oratorio 'was allowed by the greatest of Judges to be the finest Composition of Musick that was ever heard'. Sir Charles Mackerras continues the constantly evolving performance history of one of the world's most enduring masterpieces.

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Owen Rees leads early-music consort Contrapunctus alongside The Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford in performances of John Taverner's masterwork, the Missa Gloria tibi trinitas. A virtuosic work, it has pride of place in the Forrest-Heyther partbooks (in the Bodleian Library in Oxford), which it has been variously argued originated at Cardinal College or at the Chapel Royal. It might well have been heard on Trinity Sunday in the chapel of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's palace at Hampton Court. The work is accompanied by other sacred choral works by Taverner, including his Ave Maria composed for Wolsey's Cardinal College, Oxford, and one of his most widely copied works, Gaude plurimum - a dramatic work where Taverner exploits the power of his full forces to evoke Christ's harrowing of hell and the breaking of 'the bloody powers of the prince of eternal death' Contrapunctus is an early-music vocal ensemble dedicated to passionate interpretations informed by authoritative insight and understanding. Directed by Owen Rees, a specialist in music of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the group presents imaginative programmes revealing previously undiscovered musical treasures and throwing new light on familiar works.

Locus Iste celebrates two milestones for the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge: as well as 2019 marking the 150th anniversary of the consecration of the college chapel, this release is coincidentally the choir's 100th recording – 60 years on from George Guest’s iconic first recording of ‘Hear my prayer’ for Argo, released in 1959. Directed by Andrew Nethsingha, the programme makes great use of the chapel's renowned acoustic, and celebrates the choirs past, present and future – including an anthem by a former director of music, a motet by one of their recent student composers and the cello-playing of a current undergraduate. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world – known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its rich, warm and distinctive sound, its expressive interpretations and its ability to sing in a variety of styles.

Their debut was shortlisted in last year’s Awards – their second release is just as accomplished; each of these powerfully contemplative works beautifully shaped and sung.

– Gramophone [5/2015]

Homages and dedications often have a veiled mystique: the relationship between the composer and somebody else, a story and emotional experience hidden in the music. + Homages are created from the heart; to whom they are dedicated is not always easy to fathom, but they can speak and bloom as though they were only written for oneself, creating a poetry and beauty which fills the hearts of listeners. + Available on Signum, “Homages” is an album by Swiss-born guitarist Christoph Denoth featuring works for guitar solo by Villa-Lobos, de Falla, Turina, Rodrigo, Sor, Malats, da Narvaez and Llobet.

A song recital which commemorates World War One brings to mind works by the poets and composers who fought valiantly for their country. Their music and words, often full of joy and desire, are made more profound and poignant by their personal sacrifices and experiences. But the affliction of the War was not restricted to the battlefields. As well as those who fought, there were those interned, those who stayed to defend their home, and those who were forced from their homes by the advancing armies. There were those who worked in munitions factories, and those who cared for the wounded.

This recital draws its inspiration from those lives upturned by the Great War, whether friend or foe, soldier or civilian. Some survived the conflict to produce great catalogues of works. Others never made it home, penning their final songs in the mud of the trenches.

As many of the featured composers fell in battle, I restricted my choice of songs to those composed in the years shortly before, and of, the war itself. With only a few exceptions, the featured poets too were involved in conflict. Alongside established works, this recital programme introduces some little known songs to portray the humanity of those caught up in the torrent of The Great War.

Drawn from across the composer's lengthy career, this collection of Part-Songs and Choral Works explores the great variety and range within Elgar's work for choir and voices. Along with more well-known works such as Love and Deep in my Soul there are early pieces such as O Salutaris hostia (composed for small amateur choirs) that give hints of his later mature style, through to the 1928 piece I sing the Birth - a work that shows Elgar's ability to adapt to more contemporary styles of 20th-century choral composition. The Rodolfus Choir have established themselves as one of the leading youth choirs in Britain, made up of singers aged from 16 to 25 who have been chosen from past and present members of the Eton Choral Courses for prospective choral scholars. Many members of the Choir are choral scholars, some are at music college, and most hope to make a career in music. The Rodolfus Choir and Ralph Allwood are well-known for imaginative programming, and for presenting new music. The Rodolfus Choir's recent CD recordings with Signum include music as diverse as Howells, Monteverdi, Grier, Tallis and the German Romantics. 'One can only marvel at the group's remarkable collective skill and cohesion' fanfare magazine

Following in their series of Gramophone Award and BBC Music Magazine Award winning recordings, Gabrieli's first Handel recording in over a decade is particularly special - recreating in painstaking detail the very first performance of L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, given in 1740, with additional instrumental repertoire including a Handel organ concerto and two concerti grossi. With a reputation as peerless Handelians, Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort & players bring meticulous research to every performance and recording project, and are joined on this disc by a stunning selection of soloists.

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The Glière Harp Concerto has always been a favorite among harp enthusiasts, though being written in the 1930’s the work’s stylistic features are redolent of both the Viennese classical style united with Russian romantic nationalism. This disc highlights the extraordinary talent of the young Official Harpist to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Claire Jones.

Claire has performed for members of the Royal Family on more then 70 occasions and has recently performed a brand new Royal Commission by Patrick Hawes at Highgrove House with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

She is joined by renowned flautist William Bennet OBE, and the English Chamber Orchestra to complete the release with Mozart’s Concerto for flute, harp and orchestra and Debussy’s Danses pour Harpe Chromatique.

various cordaria,chappelle du roi; charivari agreable; the clerks group;Gabrieli Consort; The king's Singers early music collection anniversary series

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