Gabrieli Consort/Paul McCreesh
Signum
"A daringly slow tempo—far slower than most choirs could manage technically—with no sense of strain whatever in supporting the voices; the little dynamic swell on 'vengeance' in verse two; a perfectly poised pianissimo to start verse three. Already in Gibbons's Drop, Drop, Slow Tears there are numerous indications of the elevated artistry Paul McCreesh and the 22 singers of his Gabrieli Consort bring to this beautifully planned and executed programme." - Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine.
"This is a disc of staggering beauty and effortless sophistication. Every element of it oozes care in conception and execution right down to the austere simplicity of the pure white booklet design and tastefully discreet aquamarine print... Not all the works are specifically settings of the liturgy for the dead but the abiding emotion is one of reflection and ultimate redemption. In the hands of lesser groups this might make for a rather high quality even saccharine background music CD. The Gabrieli’s enormous skill is their super-sensitive response to the texts and an extraordinarily fine control of dynamic, balance and line." - Nick Barnard, MusicWeb International.
"This is a disc of staggering beauty and effortless sophistication. Every element of it oozes care in conception and execution right down to the austere simplicity of the pure white booklet design and tastefully discreet aquamarine print... Not all the works are specifically settings of the liturgy for the dead but the abiding emotion is one of reflection and ultimate redemption. In the hands of lesser groups this might make for a rather high quality even saccharine background music CD. The Gabrieli’s enormous skill is their super-sensitive response to the texts and an extraordinarily fine control of dynamic, balance and line." - Nick Barnard, MusicWeb International.
Runners-up:
Poulenc: "Half Monk, Half Rascal". Danish National Vocal Ensemble/Stephen Layton [OUR Recordings]
Howells: Requiem, etc. Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge/Stephen Layton [Hyperion]
Berlioz: Requiem. Gabrieli Consort; Wroclaw Philharmonic/Paul McCreesh [Signum]
Brahms: Works for chorus and orchestra. Collegium Vocale Gent; Orchestre des Champs-Elysées/Philippe Herreweghe [Phi]
Two appearances for McCreesh and the Gabrielis here—and two appearances for Howells' Requiem, which is on "A Song of Farewell" as well as the Trinity disc.
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