Of my many discoveries this year, the music of Christopher Gibbons, son of the more famous Orlando just beats Striggio’s 1612 Vespers (Decca) and several neglected 20th-century composers whose music has been brought to us by Dutton. © 2012 MusicWeb International

From the very opening of the first work, Not unto us, O Lord, I was enthralled.

There’s real variety here, then: keyboard works with and without viols, full anthems and verse anthems and motets, enough to confirm Richard Egarr’s belief that Gibbons’ is ‘an extraordinary and unique voice’ and a ‘true English musical treasure’.

The performances are equally treasurable for the most part; I’m sure that Gibbons would have been pleased with them…

I do hope that others will now turn to the music of this composer—and it goes without saying that I hope for more from The Academy of Ancient Music and Richard Egar…

The CD layer of the recording is first rate.

If you like the music of Orlando Gibbons and that of Henry Purcell, you should not hesitate to place your order for this major discovery whose music bridges their two worlds. © 2012 MusicWeb International Read complete review

I must admit that I did not know of the existence of Christopher Gibbons (1615–1676), the only surviving son of much more famous composer Orlando Gibbons, that master of English music who made quite an impact in his time. As far as I can determine there are only a total of five recordings currently available that feature his music, and this album under review is the first to be dedicated solely to the composer. We are very fortunate in that it happens to be a superb one.

As the title says, this is a varied miscellany including organ and chamber music, and several types of choral pieces, including one of the few Latin motets the composer wrote. Each of these works is performed with obvious affection and enormous emotional involvement on the part of the performers, and the sound is spectacular. One can only pray that the success of this album—and it deserves much—will lead to a follow-up as well. Great stuff! © 2012 Audiophile Audition Read complete review