James Gilchrist
Jeremy Filsell
The Vasari Singers
Jeremy Backhouse
"Jeremy Backhouse's excellent Vasari Singers
performed it not just
accurately, but with bags of heart and soul as well. A sincere,
intelligent and admirably unsensational meditation on the darkness at the
heart of man. The Cloud of Unknowing deserves a concert life beyond
this moving performance."
The Times
"Francis Pott, in his acclaimed commission for the Vasari
Singers' silver jubilee, provides a 21st-century take on the dark soul
of humanity ... Pott's monumental, eloquent take on senseless violence
and shameful hypocrisy offers a shield to the spirit against those who
would destroy it. Unmissable"
Classic FM Magazine
"the tenacity and honesty with which he engages in self-debate
is deeply moving... This performance is both passionate and precise,
with magnificent contributions from Gilchrist and Filsell"
The Sunday Times
"Both technically and emotionally the work is dauntingly
demanding, but the Vasaris respond unflinchingly... It's a long part
and constantly taxing but James Gilchrist delivers it with huge
distinction"
Muso Magazine
"Words become clear and telling, and in an atmosphere of
gentle supplication the agony and the anguish of a conflict torn
world are revealed ... James Gilchrist proves a tower of strength,
pouring his very soul into it and weighting and colouring each
phrase with loving care. The Vasari Singers acquit themselves more
than honourably, surmounting both the complexity of the task and its
length ... the acoustic (Tonbridge School Chapel) is generous
allowing the final passages to fade into a radiance of other-worldly
ecstasy which would have done justice to Gounod"
Musical Pointers
"This disc seems likely to prove an apotheosis among
apotheoses for Vasari, such is the prodigious care with which they
tackle Pott's passionate and apocryphal - or should that be
apocalyptic? - masterpiece ... Pott's juxtaposition of Biblical
fragments with texts by William Blake and Odysseus Elytis emerges as
an entirely wholesome libretto, and the choir manages to clasp the
image throughout, with Jeremy Filsell's organ-playing sealing the
textures with unshakable sensitivity ... it is the calculated
exploitation of that most indispensable of musical building blocks -
absolute silence - that fixes these choral and solo events together
so utterly convincingly"
International Record Review
"The Vasari Singers' quality and commitment is of the
highest, with James Gilchrist an unfailingly outstanding soloist.
Jeremy Filsell accompanies superbly, and much praise is due to
Jeremy Backhouse, who secures a performance of compelling
artistry"
Musical Opinion
"I wholeheartedly recommend this recording of The Cloud of Unknowing, an interesting and powerful response to the wars and atrocities of the past five years ... I was immediately won over by his 80 minute work. The drama this challenging piece demands is captured by the brilliance of the choir's performance ... The emotion is perceptively displayed without any sentimentalism by the superb Vasari Singers ... A riveting and outstanding performance and excellent recording"
Organists Review
"There are interesting juxtapositions of meaning and themes, portraying internal and external troubles of the spirit and soul ... the performances are all as terrific as one has come to expect from the Vasari Singers and their collaborators. Jeremy Backhouse battles valiantly with the size of the piece, channelling the massive forces in the right direction, while James Gilchrist is a committed and lyrical tenor soloist ... The choir itself gives a superlative performance, evoking the best of the English oratorio tradition in their vigorous and uplifting singing"
Musical Criticism.com
" ... that this eloquent new piece is a work of great importance and one that not only stands firmly in the proud tradition of English choral music but that also carries that tradition forward and enriches it ... The virtuoso organ part is played by Jeremy Filsell in a manner that is beyond praise"
MusicWeb International Recordings of the Year 2007
"Jeremy Filsell’s flawless playing draws numberless nuances from Tombridge School ’s Marcussen instrument. James Gilchrist is a passionate and occasionally volatile soloist. Jeremy Backhouse and the mighty Vasaris give everything they can muster."
The Gramophone
Following its successful premiere performance earlier this year,
Francis Pott’s highly anticipated recording of The Cloud of Unknowing
is likely to be musical milestone and a choral great.
Drawing together a variety of texts and musical influences, Pott weaves
together a deep and emotional work with an ethos reminiscent of Michael
Tippett’s ‘War Oratorio’.
