Simone Rebello - percussion
Paul Silverthorne - viola Bob Chilcott - conductor
"All the music on this CD is accessible, concise and says
something worthwhile... The choir is renowned as an expert ensemble
and here they sing splendidly under Chilcott's direction... In the
case of Beach, Chilcott employs a viola, superbly played by Paul
Silverthorne. The viola's nutty brown sound adds a marvellously
wistful touch to this piece... The selection of music on this disc has
been well made to give a good variety of perspectives on Bob
Chilcott's choral output... Chilcott is a resourceful composer and one
who writes exceptionally well for voices and he is superbly served
here by the virtuosity of the BBC Singers"
MusicWeb
" ... you get a sense of the settings having grown organically
out of their texts, so attuned is Chilcott to words and their import
... As for the singing, it is superb throughout, the BBC Singers, no
doubt spurred on Chilcott's conducting, giving themselves entirely
over to both words and music without for a moment allowing any
technical lapses ... The booklet notes and sound recording are both of
the same excellence"
International Record Review
"Bob Chilcott's music is audience-friendly; no one is better at writing tuneful, rhythmic, fun music, but nevertheless it has a transient air"
Choir and Organ
" ... the sheer vitality of this music exudes genuine joyfulness ... all the artistic and technical demands of this varied programme are deftly handled by the wonderfully versatile BBC Singers ... With Signum's suitably spacious recorded sound, this is a glorious showcase of one of the finest choral composers at work in Britain today"
Gramophone
The world-renowned choral composer and conductor Bob Chilcott leads the
BBC Singers, as well as the internationally recognised soloists Simone
Rebello and Paul Silverthorne, in these new performances of some of
his best and most loved choral works.
‘He has the knack of exploring highly effective uncomplicated
choral devices, and providing both singers and listeners with a complete
cycle that leaves them fulfilled yet still prepared for more ... It is all
splendidly entertaining.’
