"Recommended! Raymond Tuttle - Fanfare - January/February 2013

"Recommended! Raymond Tuttle - Fanfare - January/February 2013

"In this world premiere recording of the 22- minute Viola Sonata (1922) by Edgar Bainton (1880-1956) Sarah-Jane Bradley gives long-lined lyrical sweep to the music at every tempo, as Christian Wilson adds rich instrumental atmosphere with points of light in the treble and a full bass. I cannot speak highly enough about Bradley and Wilson. These are two highly intelligent masters of their instruments who deeply feel the music at hand and respond with gorgeous playing. The engineers serve them up as equal partners and give the piano full tone from treble to rich bass. The liner notes are superb, giving a brief biography of each composer and then an analysis of each work that is concise and illuminating." Gil French - American Record Guide - November 2012

Violist Sarah-Jane Bradley and pianist Christian Wilson give inspired performances…highly sensitive without becoming romantic wallows. Ms. Bradley’s intonation is exceptionally pure with no hint of that queasiness frequently experienced with lesser violists. The recordings, which were made in Henry Wood Hall, London, are audiophile and project an ideally proportioned soundstage in a warm acoustic. The duo is positioned just far enough forward to give clear sonic images of both instruments without being in-your-face. Ms. Bradley’s viola is beautifully burnished, and Mr. Wilson’s piano tone well-rounded with no sign of digital artifacts. Bob McQuiston - Classical Lost and Found - August 2012

Sarah-Jane Bradley’s viola has a singing quality beautifully suited to this essentially ruminative, lyrical repertoire and Christian Wilson’s role as accompanist is most sensitively judged in allowing the plaintive viola to express its full range of plangent gestures. The Sonata (1922) by Bainton is an impressive piece splendidly shaped by Bradley. Jeremy Dibble - Gramophone magazine - November 2012

Two very talented, younger British musicians tackle gorgeous, neglected music by fellow Britons for a gorgeous, neglected instrument, the viola Paired with sensitive pianist Christian Wilson, Bradley elegantly lays out three great, meaty works and one sweet trifle from 20th century England.The duo’s mix of power and sweetness does wonders for the three big pieces. Edgar Bainton, a composer best known for his church anthems, gets a world-premiere recording of his Sonata for Viola and Piano It is followed by Theodore Holland’s Suite in D for Viola and Piano and, the star of this disc, the Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Major, subtitled “Colleen.” Bantock, who taught and conducted as well, brings a powerful sense of structure to music that is at one sweet and serious, virtuosic and capable of deftly sketching a number of different moods, many inspired by Irish folksong and even a jig. A brilliant little extra is a sweet…encore by York Bowen simply entitled “Piece for Viola.” This unpublished work gets the disc’s other world-premiere recording. John Terauds - Musical Toronto - July 2012