Saint Nicolas

"I had some concern before listening to this disc that the choir might be too small and too sophisticated for the work, but to my surprise that is not the case ... Overall the performance avoids the trap of over-sophistication which can so easily kill the impact of the work ... St Nicolas seems to have fallen in popularity in recent years ... A performance like this makes a strong case for it as being one of Britten's most masterly as well as most loveable works".

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"Kennedy is thrillingly stentorian when the drama demands, but he's particularly affecting during his near-Mahlerian dark night of the soul as he languishes in prison ... The logistics for this disc were mind-boggling ... I know the phrase 'sonic spectacular' gets rather over-used these days, but trust me - it's justified here".

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"This is a predictably fine performance under the sympathetic guidance of Matthew Best. Anthony Rolfe Johnson plays Nicolas with great intelligence and understanding, but he sounds rather strained at times ... The choral singing and orchestral playing on the Hyperion issue are exemplary".

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"This is an excellent new recording of britten's cantata St Nicholas. Despite some strong competition ... I think Stephen Cleobury's is the finest performance to have appeared on disc since Britten's own mono recording, an essential of any Britten collection".