BBC Singers
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Special offer. Michael Tippett: New Year
RecommendedRhian Lois (Jo Ann), Ross Ramgobin (Donny), Susan Bickley (Nan), Roland Wood (Merlin), Robert Murray (Pelegrin), Rachel Nicholls (Regan), Alan Oke (The Presenter)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
the tautness of the score more than makes up for the loose weave of the narrative. Fostered teenager Donny’s identity crisis is represented by syncopated lines and a guitar part influenced by... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, May 2025, Editor's Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Winner 2025, World Premiere Recording (Rediscovery)
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Gramophone Awards, 2025 Finalists, Opera
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Special offer. Imogen Holst: Discovering Imogen
RecommendedBBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers, Alice Farnham
Alice Farnham, the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers do affectionate homage to this interesting music, to Imogen Holst’s special legacy, her creative individuality and her significant, often... —
Awards:
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalists 2024
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalists 2024, Shortlisted - Rediscovery
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John Adams: Doctor Atomic
RecommendedGerald Finley (Robert Oppenheimer), Julia Bullock (Kitty Oppenheimer), Brindley Sherratt (Edward Teller), Samuel Sakker (James Nolan), Andrew Staples (Robert Wilson), Jennifer Johnston (Pasqualita)
BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams
Finley ‘owns’ the characterisation of J Robert Oppenheimer…and Julia Bullock’s Kitty [is] the most ardent possible. All else is compelling on every level, with superb British support from Brindley... —
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 29th June 2018
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BBC Music Magazine, August 2018, Opera Choice
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Gramophone Magazine, August 2018, Editor's Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Winner 2018
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Grammy Awards, 61st Awards (2019), Nominee - Opera Recording
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BBC Music Magazine Awards, 2019, Finalist - Opera
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Opus Klassik Awards, 2019, Winner - Opera (20th/21st century)
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Gramophone Awards, 2019, Finalist - Opera
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Limelight Magazine Recordings of the Year, 2018, Winner - Opera
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Special offer. Birtwistle: Angel Fighter
Andrew Watts (Angel) & Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Jacob)
BBC Singers & London Sinfonietta, David Atherton
Birtwistle unleashes all his powers as a stage composer onto Stephen Plaice's text, using the whole building to create a thrilling dramatisation of the Bible story…pungent pizzicato rhythms,... —
Awards:
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Sunday Times, 2015, Albums of the Year
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Gramophone Magazine, July 2015, Editor's Choice
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Gramophone Awards, 2016, Finalist - Contemporary
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Britten: Death in Venice
Philip Langridge (Aschenbach), Alan Opie (Traveller/Elderly Fop/Old Gondolier/Hotel Manager/Hotel Barber/Leader of the Players/Voice of Dionysus), Michael Chance (Voice of Apollo)
BBC Singers, City of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox
The Pears/Bedford version tends to emphasise the opera's elegiac side… The Chandos… is certainly not lacking in depth. But it also has an incisive clarity matching Richard Hickox's generally... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Awards, 2005, Finalist - Opera
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BBC Music Magazine, May 2005, Opera Choice
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Gramophone Magazine, May 2005, Editor's Choice
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Downloads
Audio formats guide -
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Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 1 'The Gothic'
Jane Manning, Shirley Minty, John Mitchinson, David Thomas,
London Symphony Orchestra, various choirs, Ole Schmidt
Ole Schmidt successfully drives the 718 performers through its demanding and immersive score, but at times, particularly in the Te Deum, vocal performances sacrifice clarity for drama —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, February 2026, Reissue/Archive Issue of the Month
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Smetana: Dalibor
Ivan Kusnjer (King Vladislav), Richard Samek (Dalibor, a Knight), Aleš Vorácek (Vitek, Dalibor’s messenger), Dana Burašová (Milada, sister of the Burgrave of Ploskovice), Alžbeta Polácková (Jitka, a country girl), Jan Stava (Benes, a jailor), Svatopluk Sem (Budivoj, commander of the king’s castle...
Belohlávek creates a proper sense of the numinous from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, above all in the solos of leader, harpist and two horns, exquisitely haloed. Belohlávek leaves us in no doubt... —
Awards:
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Sunday Times, 2015, Albums of the Year
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Opera, April 2016, Recording of the Month
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Special offer. Birtwistle: The Mask of Orpheus
RecommendedBBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers, Andrew Davis and Martyn Brabbins
Birtwistle's opera is about the Orpheus myth, but the familiar story has been fragmented. Each of the principal characters is represented by two singers and a (silent) dancer, and much of what... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Awards, 1998, Winner - Contemporary
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Emily Howard: The Anvil
RecommendedKate Royal, Claire Booth (sopranos), Hugh Cutting (countertenor), Christopher Purves (bass-baritone), BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, Hallé Choir, Ben Gernon, Vimbayi Kaziboni
it’s an immersive and emotional experience...Visceral and brilliant. —
Awards:
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023, Shortlisted - World Premiere Recording (New Work)
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BBC Music Magazine Awards, 2025, Shortlisted - Premiere
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Special offer. Michael Berkeley: Collaborations
RecommendedClare Hammond (piano), Madeleine Mitchell (violin), Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord), Alice Coote (mezzo), Julius Drake (piano), Robert Plane (clarinet), Rachel Roberts (viola), Chris Hopkins (piano), BBC Singers, Joshua Ryan (organ), Neil Tennant (vocals), David Gilmour (vocals/guitar), Owain Park
Here’s a marvellously stylish showcase for some eclectic and characteristically communicative repertoire by the seemingly indefatigable Michael Berkeley. —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, September 2024
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalists 2024
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