Matthew Best

Review: In the catalogue of Britten's compositions those involving a chorus, often without instrumental or orchestral accompaniment loom large. They stretch right across his working life, beginning in 1929 and ending in the Op 95 his last completed score finished a few months before his death. The four pieces recorded here belong in the first half of that period, the earliest of them dates from 1933, the latest from 1949, perhaps his most productive period. Mathew Best, as usual, does a wonderful job bringing these works to life.

Songlist: Rejoice In The Lamb, A Wedding Anthem, Festival Te Deum, A Boy Was Born

Review: This recording features choral works by some of the great American composers. The Corydon Singers, led by Matthew Best sing Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms," Aaron Copland's "In the Beginning" and three motets and Samuel Barber's "Agnus Dei." The "Chichester Psalms," originally orchestrated, are accompanied by organ, harp and percussion with boy soprano Dominic Martelli. Copland's "In the Beginning" for soprano solo and unaccompanied chorus features mezzo-soprano Catherine Denley. Barber's "Agnus Dei" is a choral arrangement of his much loved "Adagio for Strings." The music on this recording is beautifully sung by a great choir.

Songlist: Chichester Palms, Psalm 108, verse 2 - Psalm 100, Psalm 23, verses 1-4, Psalm 2, verses 1-4, Psalm 23, verses 5, 6, Psalm 131, Psalm 133, verse 1, Agnus Dei, In the Beginning, Three Motets (Aaron Copland):, Help us, O Lord, Have mercy on us, O my Lord, Sing ye praises to our King

Review: The Corydon Singers' recording of Rachmaninov's Vespers is extremely moving and beautifully sung. Conducted by Matthew Best with soloists Joya Logan, alto and John Bowen, tenor, it is an outstanding version. The choir has a very warm and rich sound, especially from the basses. This piece requires an enormous range of color from the more introverted "Blagoslovi, dushe moya" to the wildly joyful "Khvalite imya Gospodi." This performance is one of the finest interpretations of this piece.

Songlist: All-Night Vigil (Vsenoshchnoe Bdenie 'Vespers' Op 37), Priidite poklonimsya (O Come let us worship), Blagoslovi, dushe moya (Bless the Lord O my soul), Blazhen muzh (Blessed in the man), Svete tikhii (O gladsome light), Nyne otpushchaeshi (Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart), Bogoroditse Devo (Hail, O Virgin Mother of God), Shestopsalmie: Slava v Vyshnikh Bogu (Hexapsalmos: Glory to God in theHighest), Khvalite imya Gospodne (The Polieley), Praise ye the name of the Lord), Blagosloven esi, Gospodi (Blessed art Thouh, O Lord), Voskresenie Khristovo (We have seen the Resurrection), Velichit dusha moya (My soul doth magnify the Lord), Slavoslovie velikoe: Slava v Vyshnikh Bogu (Great Doxology: Glory to God inthe highest), Tropar: Dnes spasenie (Troparion: Today is salvation come), Tropar: Voskres iz groba (Troparion: Being risen from the tomb), Vzbrannoy voevode (O victorious leader)

Review: "There is nothing like entering a church on a Saturday, standing in the semi-darkness with the scent of incense wafting through the air, lost in deep contemplation searching for an answer to those perennial questions, wherefore, when, whither and why?" These words, from one of Tchaikovsky's own letters, sum up the spirit behind the glorious Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op 41. The work is steeped in the Orthodox tradition, the choral writing provides that sense of transparency and simplicity demanded by the text, and the resulting ambience is rich in the manner familiar to Western listeners from works such as Rachmaninov's Vespers. This recording also includes ten choruses to texts many of which are taken from the Liturgy. The first nine were published together in 1885, while the tenth, An angel crying, was lost shortly after its first performance in 1887 and only rediscovered thirteen years after the composer's death.

Songlist: Nine Sacred Choruses 1884/5:, Izhe kherumvimy - Cherubic Hymn in F major, Izhe kherumvimy - Cherubic Hymn in D major, Izhe kherumvimy - Cherubic Hymn in C major, Tebe poem - We praise you, Dostoyno est - Hymn to the Mother of God, Otche nash - Our Father, Blazhenni yazhe izbral - Blessed are they, Da ispravitsya - Let My Prayer, Nyne sily nebesnyya - Now the powers of Heaven, Angel vopiyashe - The angel cried, Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op 41 1878:, Slava Otsu, i Synu - Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, - Priidite, poklonimsya - Come, let us worship, Izhe kherumvimy - Cherubic Hymn, Veruyu - The Creed, Milost mira - A mercy of peace, Tebe poem - We praise you, Dostoyno est - Hymn to the Mother of God, Otche nash - Our Father, Khvalite Gospoda - Praise the Lord, Blagosloven gradyy - Blessed is he who comes