The all-McCabe orchestral disc, recorded earlier this year in Lithuania, has been released on Dutton Epoch CDLX 7133. This contains Piano Concerto No 2, and three works for string orchestra: Concertante Variations on a theme of Nicholas Maw, Sonata on a Motet, and Six-minute Symphony. The music is performed by the splendid St Christopher Chamber Orchestra under conductor Donatas Katkus, with Tamami Honma as the magnificent and committed soloist in the concerto.
Tamami Honma has become closely associated with McCabe’s piano music, and a second CD, released by Metier (MSV CD 92071), contains a wide range of his solo piano music including the première recording of perhaps his most important piano work Tenebrae (which gives the album its title). The disc also includes the première recording of a work written for Ms Honma, Scrunch (Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti – Study No 8).
With Christmas on the horizon, the newly released CD of King’s Singers Christmas appears on Signum SIGCD 502. This recording includes John McCabe’s carol To us in Bethlem city, another first recording. “Some things are definitely worth the wait. This glorious disc … gets to the root of the English choral tradition.” - Malcolm Riley, Gramophone
