MACMILLAN St Luke Passion

Markus Stenz | Netherlands National Youth Choir | Netherlands Radio Choir | Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra | Peter Dicke

Words taken from the Magnificat make a somewhat surprising opening to this second in the projected series of four Passion...

Reviewed by Marc Rochester in issue: 07/2015

MACMILLAN Violin Concerto. Symphony No 4

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra | Donald Runnicles | Gillian de Groote | Vadim Repin

Now approaching 60, James MacMillan is surely the most recorded of contemporary British composers and this new Onyx disc couples...

Reviewed by Richard Whitehouse in issue: 12/2016

F MARTIN; MACMILLAN Passion & Polyphony

Neil Ferris | Sonoro

Twenty years ago the Gramophone Recording of the Year was a Hyperion disc by Westminster Cathedral Choir under James O’Donnell....

Reviewed by Marc Rochester in issue: 04/2018

Pergolesi Stabat Mater

Claudio Abbado | Giuliano Carmignola | Julia Kleiter | Mozart Orchestra | Rachel Harnisch | Sara Mingardo

Claudio Abbado and his Bolognese period-instrument Orchestra Mozart embark on a trilogy of discs devoted to Pergolesi’s church music in...

Reviewed by David Vickers in issue: 12/2009

MacMillan Kiss on Wood

Ian Brown | John York | Marianne Thorsen | Paul Watkins | Raphael Wallfisch

This disc offers two recent, substantial chamber compositions by James MacMillan: 14 Little Pictures (1997) for piano trio, and the...

Reviewed by Arnold Whittall in issue: 1/2001

Anthems for the 21st Century

Jeremy Backhouse | Vasari Singers

A syrupy piece of kitsch by Ward Swingle is the odd one out here. The remainder of the disc is...

Reviewed by Marc Rochester in issue: 11/2005

MacMillan PIano Works; MacRae Piano Sonata

Simon Smith

It is good to have all of James MacMillan’s piano music to date available on one CD. But I wonder...

Reviewed by David Fanning in issue: 9/2003

DENYER Riverine Delusions. Two Voices. Whispers

Barton Workshop | Benjamin Gilmore | Bob Gilmore | Dario Calderone | Elisabeth Smalt | Jamie Man | Jos Zwaanenburg | Juliet Fraser | Kiku Day | Pepe Garcia Rodriguez

Until reaching the climactic summit of Riverine Delusions – where bass drum thwacks overpower the remainder of the ensemble –...

Reviewed by Philip Clark in issue: 08/2015

(The) NMC Songbook

As Bayan Northcott remarks in one of three detailed essays accompanying this set, the crafting of songs hasn’t been a...

Reviewed by David Gutman in issue: 5/2009

BRUCKER Symphony No 5

Claudio Abbado | Lucerne Festival Orchestra

‘Involvement’ is the keyword here, Claudio Abbado himself relaxed (or seemingly so), alert, exultant or visibly pleased as suits the...

Reviewed by Rob Cowan in issue: 08/2012