Tomlinson pulls off the feat magnificently. There's a deep, grainy quality to his voice that catches the sorrow and cynicism of the Green Knight perfectly...Another strength of this recording is the weirdly intense vocal sound of Marie Angel...As for the orchestral playing, it catches both the dark fatalistic quality of the score and its moments of beauty.

Birtwistle’s difficult vocal lines and ritualistic patterns need a high level of commitment from the listener: this is an opera best experienced with eyes as well as ears. But for those prepared to submit to its baleful orchestral sound and riddle-strewn tale, Howarth and his fine cast...provide a definitive experience.

Tomlinson as the Green Knight has peerless authority and you can hear his every word...Francois Le Roux here, after a slow start, fleshes out the character of Gawain in Act 2 and becomes a worthy adversary.

It’s a listening experience that’s not for the faint-hearted: from the first downbeat, Birtwistle’s music pins you to the spot with its densely scored, dissonant harmonies and dramatic, sinewy vocal lines...The cast put in sterling efforts across the board, but it is Tomlinson’s Green Knight/Bertilak that really carries the performance.