Stanford - Choral Music - BBC Radio 3 CD Review
> See recording details...A thrilling performance from The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge…the sheer impact of the voices in the opening [of For lo, I raise up], the clarity of the diction (one of Layton’s trademarks), the way they navigate the sudden changes of mood, the breadth and then the exhilirating acceleration towards the final section, fleeter than most choirs can manage.
And what about the recording itself? The balance between the singers, the magnificent Willis organ played by Owain Park, and the Hereford Cathedral acoustic, is wonderfully well managed. It’s so vivid, it’s as though the walls of your living room have been demolished; and if you turn it up too far, they might be!
How do you follow that as an opening? Well, the C major Te Deum with brass and organ is pretty impressive, after which the relative intimacy of Stanford’s Three Motets recorded back home in Trinity College is welcome.
It’s a Stanford album of the highest quality.
Andrew McGregor
Hyperion Records CDA68174