Stephen Layton MBE

Reviews

Press notices and interviews, by year.

2005

  1. The IndependentBach: St John PassionThe choral director Stephen Layton's Good Friday performances with his chamber choir Polyphony, of Bach's St…Concert Review
  2. Early Music TodayHandel: MessiahConcert Review
  3. The IndependentSpitalfields Christmas FestivalThis Spitalfields Winter Festival concert paid homage to an established Christmas institution: the Christmas…Concert Review
  4. The Philadelphia InquirerHandel: MessiahStrong 'Messiah' conductor carries the night The season for Messiah envy, the ever-green variety, is upon us…Concert Review
  5. Choir and OrganMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the CrossThe two premiere recordings on this disc are the Te Deum and On the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. The…CD Review
  6. The St Louis PostLauridsen: Lux aeterna"Lux aeterna" illuminates hope with choral music In the course of my work, I receive compact discs by the…CD Review
  7. The IndependentMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross'James MacMillan's work is informed by his Catholic faith, but rarely has he communicated his spiritual…CD Review
  8. Music WeekMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the CrossIn an ideal world, Hyperion's August disc of the month would sell by the truckload. The sheer quality of…CD Review
  9. American Record GuideMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross'If you've heard them and followed the laudatory press they've gotten worldwide, you already know that this…CD Review
  10. The TimesMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross'MacMillan has a tremendous gift for making the simple resonate; the 2001 Te Deum, a first recording, shows…CD Review
  11. Classic FM MagazineMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the CrossBest buy (opera/vocal) September 2005 In the decade since Stephen Layton’s Polyphony made the premiere…CD Review
  12. Gramophone MagazineMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross'an intense, deeply felt interpretation, full of beautiful and affecting singing, with all the elements -…CD Review
  13. The Birmingham PostMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross'This stunning work, brilliantly performed by Stephen Layton's chamber choir Polyphony and the Britten…CD Review
  14. Chicago TribuneTavener: The Veil of the TempleYou've never heard anything quite like Sir John Tavener's "The Veil of the Temple." The work originated as an…CD Review
  15. BBC Music MagazineLauridsen: Lux aeternaCD Review
  16. Classics Today.comLauridsen: Lux aeternaIt would be difficult today to be a choral singer and not be familiar with at least one or two works by…CD Review
  17. Classic FM MagazineLauridsen: Lux aeterna'Stephen Layton's feel for the inner line and structure melts the heart, as does the impeccable, unforced…CD Review
  18. International Record ReviewLauridsen: Lux aeternaConventional choral wisdom suggests that the American Morten Lauridsen is a one-work wonder and certainly O…CD Review
  19. The Daily TelegraphLauridsen: Lux aeterna'The music has freshness and an affecting emotional pull to it that explains its popularity with singers and…CD Review
  20. Music WeekLauridsen: Lux aeterna'Above all, these performances by Stephen Layton's Polyphony are breathtakingly beautiful, powerfully…CD Review
  21. The ScotsmanLauridsen: Lux aeterna'Every one of the works on this mesmerising Hyperion release is deliciously lyrical and harmonically…CD Review
  22. The ObserverLauridsen: Lux aeterna'exquisitely sung by Polyphony with strong support from the Britten Sinfonia under Stephen Layton'CD Review
  23. The Manchester Evening NewsLauridsen: Lux aeternaHe's the thinking choristers' John Rutter, highly regarded in the USA and noted for bringing the multi-voice…CD Review
  24. Opera MagazineLauridsen: Lux aeternaThe choral work of Polyphony, under the direction of Stephen Layton, is solid and inspiring throughout the…CD Review
  25. Fanfare USALauridsen: Lux aeternaI had seen the name of Morten Lauridsen with growing frequency over the past few years; he seemed to be…CD Review
  26. The Daily ExpressLauridsen: Lux aeternaWritten in 1997, US composer Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna was immediately hailed as a classic when it was…CD Review
  27. American Record GuideLauridsen: Lux aeterna'Layton and company have here produced the finest I've heard among several excellent collections of…CD Review
  28. Music Web InternationalTavener: The Veil of the TempleThe Veil of the Temple is a huge conception. The full version plays for 480 minutes, according to the Chester…CD Review
  29. The Philadelphia InquirerTavener: The Veil of the TempleLike most John Tavener works, this one presents itself with an immense sense of spiritual self-importance…CD Review
  30. BBC Music MagazineTavener: The Veil of the TempleCD Review
  31. BBC Radio 3Lauridsen: Lux aeternaWestminster Cathedral? Broadway? Estonia even? In fact it’s the shamelessly ecstatic writing of the American…CD Review
  32. Audiophile AuditionTavener: The Veil of the TempleTavener's The Veil of the Temple is massive in scale and influence; the sheer number of singers (more than…CD Review
  33. The Independent on SundayVarious: O magnum misteriumA sequence of modern music to ancient texts, linked by austere insertions of Sarum plainchant, that surveys…CD Review
  34. Organists ReviewVarious: O magnum misteriumThe choir conveys Warlock’s genius quite irresistibly. These are superlative performances, beautifully…CD Review
  35. Gramophone MagazineLauridsen: Lux aeternaThere is some outstanding choral singing here, particularly in the six Madrigali. These are vocally…CD Review
  36. The Seattle TimesLauridsen: Lux aeternaOne of today's most performed choral composers, Northwest native Morten Lauridsen has won legions of…CD Review
  37. Stereophile USALauridsen: Lux aeterna'The sound is very clean, very focused and detailed, and has remarkable sound-stage depth. Even more so as an…CD Review
  38. HMVLauridsen: Lux aeternaThis new disc from the multi-award-winning choir Polyphony is something rather special. At once genuinely…CD Review
  39. BBC Radio 3MacMillan: Seven Last Words from the CrossIf you want contemporary choral music that will challenge you rather than just relax you, then you might want…CD Review
  40. International Record ReviewMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross'… the qualities which have made Polyphony one of the finest choirs around at the moment are very much in…CD Review
  41. BBC Music MagazineMacMillan: Seven Last Words from the CrossThis splendid new performance from Polyphony also conveys dignity, and a sense (hard to explain) that the…CD Review
  42. Gramophone MagazineTavener: The Veil of the TempleCD Review
  43. Music Web InternationalLauridsen: Lux aeternaIn April 2002 I wrote the following about a Rubeda Canis Musica Release RCM 19705: "This disc is my choral…CD Review