His vibrato has an annoying tendency to become a wobble, and he brings little variety or expression to his lines. Ward's accompaniment is serene, delicate, and splendidly played. Oboist Swain is consistently more expressive and convincing than Gedge. The Naxos recording is excellent. The balance between the soloists, choir, and orchestra in the Magnificat is well-nigh perfect, and the bass is rock solid.
Instrumental details are crystal clear, yet the sound is warm, natural, and open.
However, the skimpy playing time is unusual for Naxos. There was plenty of room for another Cantata, which might have given us the welcome opportunity to hear more of the remarkable Ms Crookes. Use of text, images, layout, format, look, or feel of these pages, without the written permission of the copyright holder, except as specified in the Copyright Notice , is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.