Choral nominations

Owain Park Choral works

The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge/ Stephen Layton Hyperion CDA 68191 Reviewed November 2018

There are many unctuous, somewhat anonymous choral discs. By contrast Park conjures up a brilliant, modern prism of sounds through which we glimpse fragments and hints of other traditions – Greek orthodox, Elizabethan, ancient hymns and even folksong – all marvellously performed.

Parle Qui Veut Moralizing Songs of the Middle Ages Sollazzo Ensemble Linn CKD 529 Reviewed February 2018

These prize-winning young musicians show us that early music can be as ingenious and socially pointed as our own – compassionate (Pour che que je ne puis), vengeful (Dal traditor), and full of everyday life (the market scene in Cacciando per gustar). Their spontaneous interpretations mix tender delicacy with drama.

A Rose Magnificat Works by Leighton, Tallis, Warlock, White, Macmillan, Sheppard, Park, Wylkynson, Howells, Lane and Martin Gabrieli Consort/paul Mccreesh Signum SIGCD 536 Reviewed June 2018

Here we have musical reflections on the Virgin Mary, ranging from deliciously sensuous Tallis to Peter Warlock’s lilting harmonies, and the glowing 16th-century splendour of Robert White’s Magnificat. The radiant purity of the singing is framed by the depth and clarity of the recording, and the choral virtuosity in the title track at the end of the album is breathtaking.