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William Hedley

Cantabile: Anthems for Viola (Delphian)

Two fine artists in a fascinating and wide-ranging programme [WH]

Lloyd Requiem Exon Singers Lyrita SRCD420

Lloyd: Requiem and Psalm 130 (Lyrita)

Highly attractive choral music in a conservative idiom, splendidly performed and recorded [WH]

Brindley Sherratt (bass): Fear No More (Delphian)

A splendid operatic bass in a new and satisfying context [WH]

beethoven dean orchid

Beethoven & Dean: Piano Concertos (Orchid Classics)

A refreshing and compelling pairing of two piano concertos [WH]

helene grimaud at elbphilharmonie hamburg

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20, Symphony No. 40; Schumann: Piano Concerto (C Major)

A beautifully filmed concert with a surprising programme [WH]

Haydn schopfung 05472775372

Haydn: Die Schöpfung (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)

Much of its freshness of character comes from the fact that so many young people are involved [WH]

Brahms Choral and Songs IBS132023

Brahms: Orchestral & Vocal Works (IBS Classical)

Fine Brahms choral music from an unexpected source [WH]

The-Monarchs Music Collis Smith CRD 3545 barnardbarnard

The Monarch’s Music (CRD)

A timely and enjoyable celebration of music for royal occasions [WH]

Puccini: Tosca (Unitel Edition)

The staging will divide opinion, but watch, listen, and let the performers convince you [WH]

Müller-Hartmann: Chamber music (Chandos)

An interesting byway of twentieth-century music [WH]

Chilcott: Christmas Oratorio (Delphian)

Immediately attractive music for the festive season [WH]

Penderecki: Orchestral Works (Naxos)

A beautiful, approachable vocal symphony coupled with two concertante works [WH]

Century indifferent DCD34311

Our Indifferent Century (Delphian)

A fascinating programme, four works in search of a theme [WH]

Shostakovich Symph 14 Storgards Chandos CHSA5310

Shostakovich: Symphony 14 (Chandos)

The programme is sombre but the performances are superlative [WH]

Glass patentia LWC1255

Glass & Bjerkestrand: Violin Concertos (lawo)

Fascinating music, fine performances and recording, poor presentation [WH]

VW Tavener MacMillan Hyperion CDA68420

Vaughan Williams, MacMillan, Tavener: Choral Works (Hyperion)

Splendid Vaughan Williams, and the other works are not to be missed on any account [WH]

Janacek Qtets BIS2670

Janáček & Haas: String quartets (BIS)

At the very top of the list for these masterpieces [WH]

unveiled thomas delphian

Elgan Llŷr Thomas (tenor) Unveiled (Delphian)

A themed recital with three first recordings [WH]

britten noyes pristine

Britten: Noye’s Fludde (Pristine Audio)

Fine historical performances indispensable to any Britten collection [WH]

puccini turandot pristine callas

Puccini: Turandot (Pristine Audio)

Not an ‘icon’ perhaps, but unmissable for admirers of Callas and Puccini [WH]

Shostakovich: Symphony No 6 & 15 (LSO Live)

A slightly tame 6th coupled with a magnificent 15th [WH]

McDowall requiem SIGCD749

McDowall: Da Vinci Requiem (Signum Classics)

A prominent composer of vocal and choral music represented by performances of two fine, serious works [WH]

Polish Concerti Vol1 DUX 1958

Polish Concerti Vol. 1 (Dux)

An unusual and deeply satisfying disc – give it a try [WH]

Magnificat 3 (Signum Classics)

Outstanding performances of a varied and satisfying programme in superb sound [WH]