Repeated hearings have done nothing to shorten the depth or diminish the intensity of first impressions left by Stile Antico’s work here. Puer natus est is for life, not just for Christmas!
Andrew Stewart, Classic FM Magazine (December 2010)
Stile Antico, probably the finest Early Music vocal chamber group this country has ever produced, have devised a disc of “Tudor Music for Advent and Christmas”… They shape each piece with immaculate balance and refinement, a mood much helped by the recording engineers.
David Denton, The Yorkshire Post (5 November, 2010)
These exquisite Tudor masterpieces for the seasons of Advent and Christmas are brought to translucent life by the young British choral group Stile Antico… utterly ravishing.
Sarah Bryan Miller, St Louis Post-Dispatch (5 December, 2010)
Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine (December 2010)
I said earlier on that this was my first encounter with Stile Antico: I shall make sure it’s not my last. I can only urge you to acquire this exceptionally fine disc and let the radiance of the music and the performances illuminate your Christmas.
John Quinn, MusicWeb International (18 November, 2010)
A disc of sumptuous warmth and rapture from this wonderful British early music choir… Singing without a conductor, the choir’s tuning and rapport are impeccable. Clap your hands too for the atmospheric acoustic, bathing it all in gold.
Geoff Brown, The Times (30 October, 2010)
Stile Antico, the new jewel of of English a cappella singing… have a flair for varying the mood and delineating the great waves which bring the music to life. Amongst the maze of recordings of this repertoire, so beloved of English groups, one piece of advice: Audite miraculum – listen to this miracle.
David Fiala, Diapason (October 2010)
Their best recording yet… Stile Antico’s account of the Tallis Mass is masterful, displaying this small director-less choir’s sure sense of this expansive work’s architecture. Tuning and ensemble are perfect throughout… In short, another triumph for Stile Antico and Harmonia Mundi.
Christopher Price, International Record Review (October 2010)
Stile Antico has come through with another gem. This disc of Tudor music for Advent and Christmas shows off the elegance and richness of the English style, in performances marked by tonal purity and translucent vocal textures.
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle (24 October, 2010)
Mesmerising… Exquisite music, performed with a sense of wondrous discovery, and perfect spiritual comfort for the troubled soul.
Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
Another great disc by the young British polyphony choir Stile Antico? Yes, but this one is a step above the previous recordings made in its few years of existence… Next to this one, many recordings of similar reputation have a beautiful blankness. Once you start this disc, you can’t tear yourself away.
David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer (17 October, 2010)
I remember 25 years ago when I first heard The Tallis Scholars and thought how lucky we early music fans were to have this group and its recordings and performances to look forward to; with continuing respect for Peter Phillips and his groundbreaking ensemble, I find those same thoughts returning with every new Stile Antico recording. Highly recommended.
David Vernier, Classics Today (23 August, 2010)