Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb / Te Deum in C / Jubilate Deo / Antiphon / etc

Benjamin Britten is the most popular British classical composer from the second half of the 20th century. His output covered every form of music from operas and ballets, to voice settings of simple folksongs. He was highly respected as a conductor, solo pianist and accompanist, and was an avid participant in chamber groups. His large catalogue of choral works extends through the whole of his compositional career, much of his music using sacred texts derived from contemporary poets. They inspired Britten to fashion some of his most radiant and beautiful scores, his unique use of boys' voices creating such a distinctive tonal quality, that it has come to characterise British church music in the latter half of the last century.

"Ten Britten choral works are on this disc, plus his only work for organ solo. They include two of his best and mot beautiful, the cantata Rejoice in the Lamb, which is Britten at his most inventive and endearing, and the Hymn to St Cecilia, his setting of a splendid Auden poem in which music and words coalesce ideally. ¡K There are lesser-known treasures here, too. For example, the two exhilarating Te Deum settings and the early Hymn to the Virgin, a predicator of genius if ever there was one. The Missa brevis written for George Malcolm's Westminster Cathedral choristers is enchantingly sung, the recorded sound enhanced by the St John's acoustic."
- The Sunday Telegraph (Michael Kennedy), June 18, 2000

"With Britten comes the thought of high voices: boys' voices that on this Naxos disc belong to the choir of St. John's College, Cambridge... the St. John's singers roundly capture the elusive tonal qualities of Britten's choral music, and the recording has a proper sense of space and locality."
- BBC Music (Nicholas Williams), June 2000

"Although the marquee works are suitably impressive, it's in the smaller, lesser known compositions that we can really appreciate the choir's skill and the extent of Britten's creative investment in even the shortest, slightest works. Highlights include the Te Deum in C, Jubilate Deo, Hymn to St. Peter, and the Antiphon, with its enchanting final delicate echoes between treble soloists and chorus. The performance of the Missa Brevis-one of the most sublime creations ever for boys voices-is full of energy and enthusiasm?But what a marvelous rendition of the Festival Te Deum! The sound gives us the space and resonance of St. John's chapel while allowing us to hear every detail, with good balance between organ and singers. This disc will make an excellent introduction to Britten's choral music-and will satisfy Britten aficionados who just can't resist adding another top drawer compilation to their collection."
- Classics Today (David Vernier), June 8, 2000

Finalist Gramophone Awards 2000 - Choral