When the Collins disc appeared, I praised particularly Langridge’s account of the Hardy cycle, Winter Words; here it is the Donne Sonnets that must take precedence. Lavender has the advantage, over other Britten tenor interpreters to date, of an Italianate metal in his tone, just what these dramatic, even heroic settings call for. He also has the range and technique to make them sound less intractable, vocally speaking, than they often seem, which is not to imply that he is unable to fine away his tone to a silvery line as required by that great Schubert-like song, “Since she whom I lov’d”. All in all, given Lavender’s intimate knowledge of singing Britten (acquired in study 20 or so years ago with Pears) and Milford’s eager response to the stringent challenge to his technical resources, this is as convincing a reading as that on Hyperion by Bostridge and Johnson.
That Italianate sound also serves Lavender well, of course, in the more extrovert Michelangelo Sonnets. These are sung with a fine feeling for line and verbal colouring, superior in that respect to Langridge’s recording. In Winter Words, intelligently as he enters into the quirky, intense world of this wonderful cycle, he doesn’t quite match Langridge in tonal management or verbal acuity, but the difference is slight and, with Milford again a resourceful and vital partner, this is an interpretation to cherish.
Carlton Classics provide more immediate recording ambience than Collins for Langridge, sometimes lending a slight edge to the singer’s tone, but as a whole, this issue, at mid price, is fully competitive with its full-price rival and on every count recommendable.'