Gramophone Magazine
March 2024
Editor's Choice

London Choral Sinfonia, Michael Waldron, Jack Liebeck (violin), Andrew Staples (tenor, Thomas Carroll (cello)

Vaughan Williams: In Windsor Forest
Vaughan Williams: Land of our Birth
Bach, J S: Chorale Prelude BWV654 'Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele'
Vaughan Williams: Hymn-tune Prelude on Song 13 by Orlando Gibbons
Bach, J S: Chorale Prelude BWV680 'Wir glauben all an einen Gott' ('Giant Fugue')
Vaughan Williams: Violin Concerto in D minor 'Concerto Accademico'
Vaughan Williams: Nothing is here for tears
Vaughan Williams: Silent Noon

This new album of music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the latest by the London Choral Sinfonia and Michael Waldron, features collaborators including violinist Jack Liebeck and tenor Andrew Staples. The collection includes works such as Vaughan Williams's Violin Concerto; ""In Windsor Forest,"" adapted from the opera 'Sir John in Love;' and ""Prelude on Gibbons’ Song 13,"" newly orchestrated for strings. Among these adaptations are Vaughan Williams' own transcriptions of J.S. Bach's works, including the 'Giant' Fugue and 'Schmucke Dich' chorale, reflecting his admiration for Bach's music. The album contains poignant pieces like ""Nothing is here for tears,"" a sombre response to King George V's death, and ""Land of our birth,"" an homage to Britain's World War II victory. Highlighting string arrangements including the seminal “Silent Noon”, arranged for strings by Owain Park, as well as world premieres, the album underscores Vaughan Williams' musical adaptations and their ties to British legacies.

"I’m happy to report that Michael Waldron secures splendidly articulate and idiomatic results from his assembled forces...First-rate sound and presentation. Don’t miss this one!" - Gramophone Magazine, March 2024