Ever since meeting Kenneth Leighton
in Glasgow some thirty three years ago I have retained much more than a soft
spot for his music. Of course, to my mind his masterpiece is the 'early' Veris Gratia which
was recorded on Chandos. In this concertante work he effectively out Finzis
Finzi!
However,
there is much else in his catalogue that is essential listening - for example
the organ works and the piano music. Recently Chandos have embarked on a cycle
of his orchestral music which is truly exiting.
The choral
music is an essential part of the composer's canon and this present disc is to
be welcomed. John Quinn has written an extensive review for MusicWeb
International which is both informative and wholly complimentary. He begins his
review by pointing out that the composer "was not a conventional,
church-going believer [however] religious music was important to Kenneth
Leighton and he composed some significant pieces of church music, as this CD
makes abundantly clear. His experiences, in his formative years, as a chorister
at Wakefield Cathedral stayed with him throughout his life..."
After an
interesting overview of each of the works on this CD Quinn sums up his review
by saying that "This is a superb disc...all the pieces included here were
new to me and they make a strong impression. That is due not just to the high
quality of the music but also to the tremendous performances that Matthew Owens
and his Wells forces provide.
It is a
disc that I look forward to listening to in the very near future. Perhaps at
last Kenneth Leighton's star is in the ascendancy?
The full
review can be found at MusicWeb
International
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