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John Ward: Consort Music For Five & Six Viols
In its debut recording for Linn, acclaimed viol consort Phantasm showcases its dazzling sonority with a programme of music deserving of re-discovery. Phantasms bold and passionate style of consort playing does full justice to John Wards Consort music for five and six viols, recorded here complete for the very first time. Recorded in the warm acoustic of Wadham College Chapel, Oxford this recording reveals works that seduce the listener with lyrical melodies and music of great charm. Phantasms ability to produce such a richly expressive unified sound allows the subtlety and elegance in Wards music to be fully realised. John Ward was a noted madrigalist and contemporary of Orlando Gibbons. His viol music is of further interest due to an abundance of historical references to pavans, Italian madrigalisms and plainsong (the latter demonstrated in Wards three examples of the In Nomine). Originally released in 2009, Ward: Consort Music for Five and Six Viols has been re-issued as part of Linns ECHO series; a second chance to enjoy the best of the labels award-winning catalogue. The award-winning ensemble has been applauded across the globe for its moving performances and is recognised as the most exciting viol consort active on the world scene today. Phantasms accolades are numerous: 2015 recording of Lawes was named Limelights Chamber Recording of the Year, its 2011 recording of Byrd was named Disc of the Month by BBC Music, and it won a 2004 Gramophone Award for its recording of Viol Consorts by Gibbons. Critics have described the ensemble and its recordings as intoxicating, revelatory, electrifying and interpretations pervaded by a truly burning spirit. Phantasms international members (from Britain, Finland and the US) have toured extensively across Europe, North America and East Asia.