Reviews

…there is much to enjoy in Lolin’s wind textures and the band’s virtuosity. Lovers of wind music will relish this album.

this much-appreciated triple CD from the Divine Art label not only remarkably fills certain gaps but also sheds light and provides a diachronic perspective on the musical thought of Alexandrov…With a convincing, well-articulated technique, broad Romantic phrasing when needed, and a clear yet warm textural clarity in the more chromatic passages, Clarisse Teo establishes herself as an authority on works that…she has made her own

In an album named Frisson, you expect lightness and excitement – and we get that in spades…The rich recorded quality gives the music a feeling of immediacy…Nothing like the usual wind ensemble programmes. a celebration of the unique brilliance of the wind ensemble as a form. … Sweeney shines… [the] synchronicity of the Czech Philharmonic Wind Ensemble [is] particularly apparent… lightness and excitement…in spades. The rich recorded quality gives the music a feeling of immediacy… Frisson brings surprises

The recordings from Roderick Chadwick and the Kreutzer Quartet are the outcome of lengthy exploration and they could hardly be bettered for commitment or insight.

Esther Rayo does these charming songs full justice…Rayo is vocally persuasive throughout the recital, and the pianist [Peter Grünberg] gives her excellent support

Alexander Ffinch’s superb playing is characterised by conviction and talent. This thoughtfully designed programme justifies its title, and offers a rewarding journey through the darker months toward the light.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable disc…a very well presented, well played, beautifully engineered and skilfully arranged programme. It is a recital well worth investigating

…eclectic and smartly curated…“Life on Mars?” is so melodically rich that it sustains the transition to Ffinch’s organ arrangement magnificently…the music…offers no shortage of rewards

In concert with his librettists Lax and Tait, Buller has crafted powerful and enriching choral material for Conspirare and Johnson to perform…

Throughout the recital I was struck by the depth of feeling in Haidar’s singing, as well as the smooth flow of his lyricism. This disc is clearly much more than the typical calling card. It is an extraordinarily thoughtful program performed with beauty and sensitivity. Recommended with enthusiasm.

The Czech Philharmonic Wind Ensemble should need no introduction…theirs is a virtuosity of the highest order…This new album is a marvellous collection of music…At the heart of the programme is Cécile Chaminade’s mellifluous Flute Concertino, fitting Lolin’s wind-band setting like a glove….A frisson, indeed!

A beautifully programmed, supremely well executed disc…Recommended.

Gerard McChrystal proves himself a master of each of these pieces and the effects in them…Pianist Richard Shaw is a gifted collaborator as evidenced by the musical and technical polish…The ensemble playing…is most impressive. This CD is…for music lovers…who will be rewarded with a recital of imagination and compelling character pieces.

A fine range of works demonstrates the charm and versatility of this ensemble.

With this finely curated collection of diverse pieces…organist Alexander Ffinch clearly demonstrates that this versatile instrument can stand on its own

Palimpsest is a fascinating album for its set-list, as well as a terrific document of Hao’s pianistic prowess, and the range he demonstrates in tackling stylistically contrasting works by composers…it successfully accomplishes its goal in showing how fundamental the palimpsest idea is to music’s evolution

On this album, the Czech Philharmonic Wind Orchestra members demonstrate their exceptional talent…charming, as are virtually all of Shea Lolin’s arrangements. The homogeneity of the very transparent-sounding orchestra is impressive.

…it was as if music had the power to take me to another dimension. The CD, a firm recommendation.

This will be an ear-opening disc both for people who know of Wilfred Heaton’s brass band music and for those…who were previously unaware of his compositions in any genre. The performances on this disc are uniformly excellent…Wilfred Heaton has been exceptionally well served in this fascinating release.

Shea Lolin…is widely regarded as a woodwind orchestra visionary. A rewarding recording…a high standard both of performance and presentation.