2018
The Sunday Times' Hugh Canning has reviewed Stephen Layton's most recent release, describing it as "a release [in] the realms of greatness" and commending its "splendid sound".
Scholarly scruples about Bach’s recycling of material from earlier works, even secular cantatas, can never diminish the stature of his late, great Mass in a performance as uplifting and invigorating as this. Layton makes no claims to “authenticity” with his mixed young-adult choir - sounding wonderfully fresh and athletic - and mature soloists. In any case, the composer probably never heard his choral masterpiece performed complete; indeed, he may not even have intended it for performance, but rather as a compendium of what he could achieve in liturgical music. Layton’s Bach is rightly prized for its clear-headed vision and lack of eccentricity. He has a fine team of soloists: Katherine Watson and Helen Charlston’s bright voices blend ideally in the Christe eleison, and Gwilym Bowen and Neal Davies are both stalwarts in their solos. But it is Iestyn Davies’s singing of Qui sedes that takes this release into the realms of greatness. The OAE, with trumpets and drums in full cry in the Gloria, Osanna and Dona nobis pacem, make a splendid sound. Highly recommended".
Stephen Layton's new recording of Bach's B minor Mass is now available for purchase on iTunes and from Hyperion's website.
Read more reviews of the recording here.
Behind the scenes during the recording sessions in Trinity
Stephen Layton's new recording of Bach's B minor Mass is now available for purchase on iTunes and from Hyperion's website.
Recording details: January 2017
Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: 2 March 2018
Total duration: 107 minutes 30 seconds
This Spring sees further peformances across Europe of Stephen Layton's Reformation and Revolution programme. Great English polyphonic works by Thomas Tallis and William Byrd are set alongside contemporary works from the Baltic States. A common turbulent political backdrop is highlighted as renaissance polyphony and contemporary liturgical settings are seemlessly woven together in this innovative programme.
Kyrie from Missa Rigensis Praulinš, Ugis (b.1957)
Ave verum corpus Byrd, William (1543-1623)
Gloria from Missa Rigensis Praulinš, Ugis (b.1957)
Salvator mundi Tallis, Thomas (1505-1585)
Angelis suis deus Miškinis, Vytautas (b.1954)
Credo from Missa Rigensis Praulinš, Ugis (b.1957)
Magnificat Ešenvalds, Eriks (b.1977)
Sanctus from Missa Rigensis Praulinš, Ugis (b.1957)
O Lord make thy servant Elizabeth Byrd, William (1543-1623)
Agnus Dei from Missa Rigensis Praulinš, Ugis (b.1957)
If ye love me Byrd, William (1543-1623)
Nunc Dimittis Lukaszewski, Pawel (b.1968)
Interspersed through the sequence are movements from Missa Rigensis, a mass written in 2002 by the Latvian composer Uģis Prauliņš and recorded by Stephen Layton with The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge in 2008. Layton is a great champion of music from the Baltic States and has premiered and recorded many works by Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Eriks Esenvalds, Vytautas Miškinis and Paweł Łukaszewski.
Performances of Reformation and Revolution in Hamburg and Leipzig in 2017 met with great critical acclaim. Spring 2018 sees Stephen Layton take the programme further across Europe with performances in Germany in April (ChorWerk Ruhr), Slovenia in May (Slovenian Philharmonic Choir) and Poland in June (NFM Choir).
For more information about these concerts, please visit the Diary section of this website
For images and further information on Stephen Layton's collaborations with Baltic composers, please visit the Projects and Recordings sections of this website
This holy week, Stephen Layton and Polyphony join forces with the Britten Sinfonia for their annual perfomance of Bach's St John Passion.
Previous collaborations between the two groups include numerous highly acclaimed recordings and concerts:
Bruckner - Mass & Motets
Ešenvalds - Passion & Resurrection
Handel - Messiah
Lauridsen - Nocturnes; Lux Aeterna
Macmillan - Seven Last Words from the Cross
Poulenc - Gloria & Motets
Explore these recordings, read reviews and listen to excerpts here
Set in the shadow of Westminster at the iconic St John's Smith Square, this is a collaboration not to be missed. Tickets available now from St. John's Smith Square.
Mini-Teaser from Hyperion Records
Stephen Layton's new recording of Bach's B minor Mass is now available for pre-order on iTunes and from Hyperion's website until its official release date of Friday 2nd March 2018.
Following great praise for his accounts of Bach's St John Passion and Christmas Oratorio, Stephen Layton now turns to the B minor Mass. Recorded in Trinity College Chapel, the much-anticipated double disc album features the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge and a stellar line up of soloists.
Katherine Watson (Soprano)
Helen Charlston (Mezzo-Soprano)
Iestyn Davies (Countertenor)
Gwilym Bowen (Tenor)
Neal Davies (Bass)
Pre-order your copy now to avoid disappointment.
Recording details: January 2017
Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: 2 March 2018
Total duration: 107 minutes 30 seconds
A documentary about Stephen Layton and British Choral Music including rehearsal footage with Polyphony and an exclusive interview.
A video of the world premiere of Oxana Omelchuk's Gaunerlieder performed by SWR Vokalensemble at Stuttgart's Eclat New Music Festival 2016.