‘Rozhdestvensky here conducts a passionate account of what is in many ways the most powerful of all the composer’s major works. There is little of the restraint that is typical of much of Howells’s choral writing. Rather he exploits the lushest, most passionate elements in his richly post-impressionist style, and he hardly lets up over the whole span. It would be hard to imagine a more inspired performance than Rozhdestvensky’s. Over the incandescent singing of the choir, the four excellent soloists give radiant performances, with the golden-toned soprano, Janice Watson, regularly crowning the mood of ecstasy in her solos. Full, glowing, atmospheric sound to match.’
Penguin Guide to Compact Discs
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