a leading, independent classical record label

BBC Music Magazine, December 2010
Performance ***, Recording ****

With Charles Daniels the Evangelist and Stephen Varcoe as Christus (both veterans of period-informed Passion performances for more than 25 years), and with typically thoughtful liner notes from the late Wilfred Mellers, this St John Passion almost induces a whiff of nostalgia. But there is nothing nostalgic about Peter Seymour's lean, purposeful direction, the imposing opening chorus fastidiously 'sprung' yet maintaining gravitas. His choir musters 20 singers from whom soloists for the arias are mostly drawn – though Stephan Loges shoulders most of the bass numbers in addition to singing the role of Pilate – and minimal forces obtain in the orchestra. Immediacy prevails, with chorales brisk (sometimes fussily punctuated) and dramatic flow keenly judged – though it's a pity that 'Mein teurer Heiland' crashes in so soon after Christ has breathed his last. A little more space, and Loges matching the hushed restraint of the chorale- imparting choir, could have lifted a pivotal moment.

The arias are generally neatly turned rather than inspirational and at a somewhat pinched tempo Jason Darnell has to gabble some of the phrases in 'Ach mein Sinn', but Charles Daniel's level-headed Evangelist anchors the narrative thrust with suave sagacity. Some touches are highly compelling, yet in the end this a serviceable St John rather than a great one.

Paul Riley

MusicWeb International, November 2010

For many people, the words 'Bach' and 'Yorkshire' used in the same sentence evoke images of huge choral societies performing the B Minor Mass and the Passions at a dirge pace and accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. In fact, Yorkshire is also the home of the York Early Music Festival, of the excellent York University Music Department, and of the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists. Judging by the number of London-based players in the orchestra, I'm assuming the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists is a professional part-time ensemble. I suspect there is some institutional link with York University, where this was recorded and where all of the soloists seem to have studied, but the liner doesn't go into detail.

Their St John Passion is an impressive recording. Orchestra, choir and soloists all deliver secure performances, and there are some moments of real beauty. In terms of performance conventions, we are looking at a period instrument orchestra of 14, a choir of 20 and three soloists, with smaller parts taken by singers from the choir. The pitch is A=415hz and the continuo organ is tuned to Valotti temperament. Tempos are in the range of moderate to brisk, but there are no radically fast choruses. The continuo accompaniment is solid and largely undecorated.

The opening chorus, which is really the only chorus in the work, puts the performers through their paces. Both choir and orchestra come through clearly in the audio, with plenty of detail if perhaps a slight lack of presence. The balance of the choir is good, although the tenors struggle a little to compete. In the orchestra, the ensemble of the strings is excellent, but woodwind are the real stars, their individual woody colours mingling beautifully in the introductions and obbligato accompaniments.

Elsewhere, the choir excel in their hushed chorales, which are low key without being unduly restrained - simple but effective. The soloists are an ideal combination, their voices distinctive but complementing each other well. Stephen Logue comes close to stealing the show as Pilate, and the sweetness of his tone in the upper register suggests his potential is not limited to bass roles. Charles Daniels is suitably declamatory as the Evangelist; a little more tone in his recitatives might be nice, but not if it is at the expense of his exemplary diction.

All round then, an impressive John Passion. In the grand scheme of things, it may seem a little unadventurous for being middle-of-the-road, interpretively speaking. But this is a performance that takes on board many lessons from the history of the period performance movement - with the notable exception of those from Joshua Rifkin. It has plenty of life and never goes to excesses of tempo or dynamics to make its point. And it doesn't force any more drama on the work than it can handle. A coherent, articulate and engaging performance that balances well the work's twin identities as narrative and contemplation.

Gavin Dixon

The Gramophone, January 2011

Just as one celebrates the best of those atmospheric recordings of Bach in the 1950s and '60s from the less glamorous regions of Germany – such as Pforzheim and Bremen – so this new expressive landscape from Yorkshire brings a distinctive corporate identity and vision to the St John Passion.

Peter Seymour selects his soloists from the widest pool, including one of Britain's most experienced and responsive Evangelists, Charles Daniels. The choir, the female solo parts and small "roles", on the other hand, are drawn from young musicians with close family or educational connections to the county. Although some of the solo vocal contributions are brittle, the projection of the sense of the text is unfailingly successful: both "Ich folge" and "Ach, mein Sinn", for example, may not stand technical scrutiny alongside seasoned recordings by the likes of Gardiner, Herreweghe and Rilling but the essence of meaning is embedded in every sinew of the lines.

The results are indeed as dramatically coherent and satisfying as I've heard for a while. Seymour's considered pacing begins with a pungent and deliberately graphic opening chorus – the choir are disarmingly flexible and communicative throughout – but extends into a brilliantly judged world of elision between crowd chorus, aria, chorale and narrative; when stillness comes – and it arrives especially strikingly in Stephan Loges's exquisite arioso, "Betrachte" – the impact is served well by a realistic, rolling and unforced sense of narrative.

Unusually, this is not a journey we recognise at every turn. The over-pointing of the chorales makes for some unnecessary rhetorical mannerisms but when the stakes are highest (such as "Er nahm", which movingly reflects the crucified Jesus honouring his mother), Seymour lets the music speak for itself. Other than the ever-engaged and intelligent Daniels, and Loges's involving presence (and let's not forget Varcoe's gently cultivated Jesus), the most telling solo work comes from Joshua Ellicott. His "Erwage" is wonderfully shaded and characterised. "Es ist vollbracht" doesn't, alas, quite live up to its pivotal potential.

Despite some uneven contributions (including a few ragged corners in the strings), this is a St John which carries open-hearted conviction and character before it. Only Wilfrid Mellers's surreal essay appears at odds with the directness and lucidity of this searching account. He writes, "Come to think of it, this is why Bach's piece 'passes understanding'; there is nothing to understand in the quietude of a cabbage."

Jonathan Freeman-Attwood