“… Christopher’s and The Sixteen’s long –running association with MacMillan guarantee that these performances leave no potential unrealised. The Britten Sinfonia’s contribution is on the same level, and all in all, I cannot imagine a better performance of either one of these works…”
Raymond Tuttle – Fanfare – November/December 2020
Excellent Album ****
Romaric Gergorin – Classica magazine (France) – December 2020/ January 2021
"... MacMillan has long been one of my favorite composers of the present era, and these two works (especially the symphony) are excellent additions to his already large catalog. Performances are (as one would expect from the forces involved) superb."
Carson Cooman – Fanfare – September/October 2020
"... Both works presented here were recorded live at a concert in London's Barbican Centre on 9 October 2019 and the excitement of the occasion is captured successfully. The performances are engaging and inspiring and the sound is sufficiently versatile to accommodate a broad dynamic range from the merest whisper to the seismic of climaxes. This release can be counted among the finest in James MacMillan's extensive recorded catalogue." *****
Paul Conway - Musical Opinion Quarterly - October-December 2020
“… Vividly scored, stylistically kaleidoscopic, and spiritually impactful (possibly more to ardent believers), The Sun Danced is an evocative, at times arresting, score and is performed here with assurance and plenty of impetus. Comprehensive booklet notes and translations are included in this important issue.” ****
David Truslove - ClassicalSource.com – August 2020
Performance ***** Recording ****
"...this [The Sun Danced] choral work is by turns quiet, ecstatic, and filled with divine urgency. Soprano Mary Bevan is the impassioned soloist, narrative and declamatory, the whole filled with MacMillan's mastery of the pull between the numinous and a very visceral experience of the divine. This is the orchestration of belief, immaculately played by the Britten Sinfonia and The Sixteen under Harry Christophers."
Sarah Urwin Jones - BBC Music magazine - August 2020
Recommended
“This symphony is a new work of great importance and great conviction, and has been stunningly realised here.”
John Quinn – MusicWeb-International.com – 15 June 2020
"... It's a symphony that manages to create an immediate impression while also revealing hidden depths through repeated listening... with excellent contributions from The Sixteen, Britten Sinfonia and Genesis Sixteen alike, directed by Harry Christophers... The other work on the disc, The Sun Danced, for soprano solo, chorus and orchestra ... certainly benefits from an impressive performance by the soprano Mary Bevan."
Pwyll ap Siôn - Gramophone magazine - June 2020
"... Macmillan's musical imagination is so fecund and fervent that listeners of every belief or nonr can feel at home... the symphony's spacious canvas is dominated by intensely expressive, often multipart choral writing, navigated with shimmering ease by Harry Christophers's group the Sixteen, and a vocal quartet topped by the vibrant soprano Julie Cooper ..." ****
Geoff Brown - The Times - 24 April 2020
“… The performance with the Britten Sinfonia, the choir The Sixteen and soprano Mary Bevan is impeccable…. The conductor Harry Christopher knows about the charms of orchestral and choral sensuality and expresses this in an inspired and inspiring performance. “ ****
Remy Franck – Pizzicato.com – 2 April 2020
My Wish List
