Reviews

Benedict Sheehan: Vespers

Gappelegate Classics-Modern Music Review

“If you like Eastern Orthodox liturgical vocals you will find this a nice addition. Or even if you do not! Recommended.” —Grego Applegate Edwards
Hymns of Kassianí

InfoDad

Under the sensitive and knowing direction of Alexander Lingas, the members of Cappella Romana present…this revelatory SACD
Hymns of Kassianí

TheaterByte

Hymns of Kassiani represents another recording triumph for the Cappella Records label. … Highest recommendation.
Hymns of Kassianí

Planet Hugill

“The music moves between the solid chant to more florid, flowing sections, the result is imaginative and I find it immensely appealing. … the performances are seductively intriguing
Hymns of Kassianí

Audiophile Audition

Cappella Romana continues to turn out sensational recordings that are state-of-the-art in sound quality. … This is a landmark recording that will still retain its importance for many years to come.
Hymns of Kassianí

Classical-Modern Music Review

excellent, state-of-the-art performances… It is ravishing, invariably, and quite refreshing if you are not familiar. Either way this one is a milestone.
Hymns of Kassianí

ConcertoNet

this album provides a new tool not only for self-examination but for indulgence in the rich sensual heritage of Byzantine singing. Kassianí’s songs demand to be heard, and we are enriched by listening to them, especially in this authentic and deeply expressive collection.
Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia: Medieval Byzantine Chant

Cinemusical

Certainly an important release for those who appreciate early music and a must have for those teaching Medieval period music. … Highly Recommended!
Hymns of Kassianí

Cinemusical

The music is rather striking… The performances transport the listener back in time to experience this music in stunning sound. … Highly Recommended!
Hymns of Kassianí

BlogCritics

If you turn it up and close your eyes you feel like you’re in a vast church or cathedral… sit back and listen, and let Cappella Romana’s superb singers transport you
Hymns of Kassianí

WTJU

Cappella Romana are specialists in Byzantine chant, and this album is a stunner. … Hearing this recording in surround made me feel like I was standing in the Hagia [Sophia] when these hymns were new. I am so looking forward to the next installment.”
Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia: Medieval Byzantine Chant

Choir and Organ

an extraordinary feat… impeccably researched and unimpeachably convincing. … No chant enthusiast should be without it.
Hymns of Kassianí

Gramophone Magazine

What makes this album so remarkable, in addition to its focus on the first extant music known to be by a female composer, is the genuinely transportive effect…
Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

The Living Church Magazine

Sheehan and his fine singers have brought to life a new piece that bridges the gap both between the centuries and between the traditions of East and West.
Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Audiophile Audition

The work itself is fresh and vibrant… This is a superb effort on many fronts, not least of which is the quality of the work itself. The production is engineered by the wonderful technicians at Soundmirror, which is self-recommending, and the St. Tikhon’s ensemble is spot on, captured in brilliant surround sound.
Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Fanfare

The music’s warmth and, above all, its assurance that what the performers sing is true is remarkable. … as an experience, the Blu-ray service is unforgettable. This could constitute a rare entry of religious music into my Wants List
Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Fanfare

the music Sheehan has created for this Liturgy is of extraordinary beauty, depth of feeling, and spiritual exaltation. Although it sometimes rises to the heights of ecstasy, the predominant mood, conveyed by beautiful, gently undulating melodic lines, is one of serenity and contemplation, permeated by a sense of awe and otherworldly mystery.
Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Fanfare

The CD alone would make this release a must-have; the accompanying Blu-ray disc is even more of a knock-out. … If you were to have only one recording of the Orthodox liturgy in your collection, I would unhesitatingly recommend that this be it; urgently, glowingly recommended.
Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

MusicWeb International

Sheehan’s music is very beautiful and inventive… the level of invention and musical dedication is consistently high throughout. … Benedict Sheehan’s music is wonderful but so too is the performance by The Saint Tikhon Choir. The singers make a fantastic sound which consistently delights the ear.
Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia: Medieval Byzantine Chant

MusicWeb International

This is a recording unlike any other I’ve heard.… The music is astonishing, the performances are superb and the sound is demonstration quality. This is a formidable achievement.