Sebastian Duron: Music For Two Dynasties – La Grande Chapelle

   in Choir & Organ (Jul, 2014)
Arthur Harrison’s instrument, originally built for Lord Glentanar’s ballroom, epitomizes the opulent 1920s with all the grandeur of a fine Rolls Royce. This new recording follows a sensitive rebuild helping the instrument to speak more convincingly into the fine acoustics of the Temple Church, and it has never sounded better (although the recording is rather bass-heavy). Whitlock’s Sonata provides ample opportunity for Greg Morris to showcase the wealth of colour and expression available. I would have preferred a continuation of English music for the rest of the disc, but Morris crosses the channel: Franck’s Third Choral sounds glorious but Alain’s Litanies lacks the sparkle found elsewhere on this disc. …