Lyrita

this is an historic collection for all sorts of reasons. These recordings will be listened to for many years to come. The heyday of Lyrita was an extraordinarily rich period for British music... — MusicWeb International, 17th November 2014 More…

There’s a visionary grandeur to [the Rhapsody], a sonata in all but name. In comparison to the restless modality of her Viola Sonata. It’s not only case on a bigger canvas but is also harmonically... — BBC Music Magazine, September 2016, 4 out of 5 stars More…

The present two symphonies make for a pointed contrast in all respects. The Sixth (1956) is the shortest of the cycle…the much larger Seventh could hardly be more different…The work gave rise... — Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2017 More…

Berkeley doesn’t altogether escape [Britten's] musical influence, but there’s an inherent flow to the drama...David Johnston leads a strong British cast, and inhabits the title role with confidence,... — BBC Music Magazine, October 2021, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Blackford’s 1996 Mirror of Perfection is a big-boned and breathtaking opener, while the more recent Vision of a Garden – based on Peter Johnstone’s ‘ICU Diaries’ written while in hospital with... — BBC Music Magazine, September 2022, 4 out of 5 stars More…

If you aren’t stirred by the panache of his half-hour sonata of solo Violin (1997) I’d suggest a visit to the doctor. Harriet Mackenzie is a most fearless and eloquent executant of this wonderfully... — BBC Music Magazine, June 2020, 3 out of 5 stars More…

This trio of compositions charts Harrison Birtwistle's transition from the brutal mechanics and plaintive lyricism of his first opera Punch and Judy (1967) to the more subtle expressive qualities... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…