Opus Arte and the Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, announce new recording relationship
James McCarthy
Friday, January 17, 2014
Opus Arte, who specialize in DVD and Blu-ray opera recordings and have won several Gramophone Awards (most recently last year, when their recording of Puccini's Il tritttico conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano at the Royal Opera House won the Opera category), have announced a recording relationship with Magdalen College Choir and their music director Daniel Hyde.
All of the releases will be audio-only and the first disc planned is a recording of Buxtehude's Membra Jesu nostri featuring former Magdalen singers John Mark Ainsley, Robin Blaze and Giles Underwood as soloists with Phantasm accompanying. Daniel Hyde and Phantasm were nominated for a Gramophone Award last year for a recording of Lawes's 'Consorts to the Organ' on Linn Records. The Buxtehude will be followed up by a recording of the music of John Sheppard (who directed the choir in the 16th century). The third disc will be dedicated to the music of Matthew Martin who won a British Composer Award last year for his choral work I saw the Lord.