Vaughan Williams - James Gilchrist - Classic FM Magazine

I wish this recording had been around during my formative years, for I'm sure it would have left a lifelong mark. On Wenlock Edge, one of Vaughan Williams's finest jewels, rings out with unforgettable energy and élan, projected into irresistible life by James Gilchrist and his admirable collaborators. There's pathos too, in ‘Is my team ploughing', a scintillating British complement to Ravel's Shéhérazade. The composer, not yet 40 when he wrote the cycle, tapped into a rich vein of nostalgic melancholy that Gilchrist fully understands. Likewise, the tenor inhabits the lost world of Gurney's Ludlow and Teme, moving this listener to tears.