The music of
Rebecca Dale
has scored success in Britain and beyond with albums of music that reflect personal experiences -- in this case, the twin traumas of the death of
Dale
's father and the COVID-19 pandemic -- and incorporate them into a tonal crossover sound. The majority of her pieces involve a chorus (here the excellent small choir
Tenebrae
) and orchestra (here the
Philharmonia
), but what impresses is the overall variety of her conceptions, matched this time out by some star group of soloists who deliver distinctive sounds. Hear the cello of
Steven Isserlis
on the opening instrumental,
There Will Come
.
has something of the same gift for finding classic poetry and putting a personal stamp on it as
John Rutter
, and fans of one are likely to appreciate the other. Lovers of
Robert Frost
's poetry may wonder why there aren't more vocal settings of his work, and the album may be worth physically buying in order to get the whole sorry tale of how
managed to include
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
, for which she furnishes a fine, hesitating setting. The album was recorded at three different locations, but the
Signum Classics
label has a gift for this kind of music, and its recording and mastering engineers fused the sessions together well. ~ James Manheim