A Song of Farewell

“…A daringly slow tempo – far slower than most choirs could manage technically – with no sense of strain whatever in supporting the voices; the little dynamic swell on ‘vengeance’ in verse two; a perfectly poised pianissimo to start verse three. Already in Gibbons’ ‘Drop, Drop, Slow Tears’ there are numerous indications of the elevated artistry Paul McCreesh and the 22 singers of the Gabrieli Consort bring to this beautifully planned and executed programme. … McCreesh has a knack of making textual observations without artfully ‘interpreting’ the music. This intelligent unobtrusiveness of gesture produces a superb account of Howells’ Requiem. … This is a superlative, unmissable issue…



…Budding singers, composers, conductors and producers everywhere take note: this is how it’s done. … All we can do is applaud…”Classic FM Magazine

“…imaginatively chosen and immaculately performed… this is among the finest, if not the finest, of the CDs to have come my way recently… ”Cathedral Music

“…Paul McCreesh has devised such a satisfying programme of mostly short a cappella pieces that the effect is the reverse of depressing … An excellent disc…”The Gramophone

“…I could go through each piece and wax lyrical. Instead I will say that the CD could be enjoyed simply track by track, or, and this is rarely recommendable, straight through in one sitting, I did both and especially appreciated the latter before retiring for an easy night’s sleep. … a fascinating mélange of approaches to the subject of death and of how we each face it. It should be said immediately that the singing is exemplary and the recorded balance flawless…”Musicweb International

“This is a disc of staggering beauty and effortless sophistication. … The Gabrieli’s enormous skill is their super-sensitive response to the texts and an extraordinarily fine control of dynamic, balance and line. … A disc of the year without doubt.”Musicweb International

“…Expressive, emotive, switching easily between the styles of the various centuries, there’s also a satisfying avoidance of any soft-focus delivery intended to up the emotional ante, particularly in the Requiem.”BBC Music Online

“Gorgeously melancholic British funeral music for unaccompanied choir … beautifully sung by Paul McCreesh’s Gabrieli Consort…”The Times