The repertoire of the Vasari Singers under their indefatigable musical director, Jeremy Backhouse, has played a significant role in the commissioning and performance of a considerable quantity of contemporary sacred choral music.

I have heard it said that Sir George Dyson’s church music is the musical equivalent of the Conservative party at prayer.

It could be thought that some of this piano music, much of it written for young pianists was for nice, suburban middle class children to play on Sunday afternoons.

This brief miniature for cello and piano was written in the summer of 2019 as, in the words of the composer, a “love song” to the village of Blewbury in Oxfordshire where he lives.

This excellent series of VW symphonies continues. Mr Brabbins and his forces have reached number 5 so there are 4 more to go and they are eagerly awaited. He is ‘Mr Reliable’. Like previous issues, his music-making is deeply considered, and paced and shaped with certainty, with the result being a very satisfying experience.

… taken from Tavener’s set of Three Shakespeare Sonnets, originally composed for the South Iceland Chamber Choir is No Longer Mourn for Me. Although by far the shortest work, it gives its name to the whole CD. It sounds absolutely delicious in this version for eight cellos by Steven Isserlis.