The Age (12.10.2011)

Goodbye to the Age of Steam is Big Big Train's first album, originally released in 1994. The album has been unavailable for many years and is reissued on 18th April 2011. To ensure the best possible audio quality, "Goodbye…" has been re-mixed by Rob Aubrey from the original master-tapes. The reissue includes new artwork and a 12-page booklet with lyrics and sleeve-notes. The reissue also features three bonus tracks; an extended version of 'Losing Your Way', a previously unreleased track called 'Far Distant Thing' (taken from a 1993 radio session), and 'Expecting Dragons', a recording by the current BBT line-up which re-works some of the musical themes from Goodbye to the Age of Steam.

For this 2010 production, the first new staging of the opera in 10 years, Glyndebourne welcome back the winning team of director Jonathan Kent and designer Paul Brown with Festival Music Director, Vladimir Jurowski conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Set at a time of seismic social and cultural change - in a Fellini-esque vision of post-war life - Jonathan Kent's urgently propulsive production offers a 'white-knuckle rollercoaster ride' through the events of the Don's last day as they unfold in and around Paul Brown's magical 'box of tricks' set.

Christmas Oratorio is topical, it’s also universal. It doesn’t require lights or tinsel or presents under the tree to instruct, inspire, and/or entertain, especially if it is presented in as fine a performance as this one fashioned by Stephen Layton and his cohort. Layton is the director of music at Trinity College, Cambridge (having succeeded Richard Marlow), and his choir is top-notch, as is the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, mercifully identified as OAE. OAE’s roster is rife with such familiar names from the period instruments movement as Margaret Faultless (who is just that here) and Alison Bury. To mention Anthony Robson, oboe, and David Blackadder, trumpet, is not to slight any of the other players.

Gustav Leonhardt's account of [the symphonies] is the one to have if you want them on period instruments. They are lively and alert, and distinguished by fine musical intelligence… It is difficult to imagine a better partnership to provide authentic versions of these three fine works.

This is a fine recording of the requiem although shorter than norm due to it's revised construction. Nevertheless, it is very pleasing and well suited to the smaller ensemble. It hardly requires me to remark on the excellence of the King's College choir which adds considerably to the listening pleasure. In addition, this is a Super Audio CD (SACD) ensuring a high quality of sound recording.

Live at the London Troxy is a live album by New Order, recorded on 10 December 2011 at The Troxy in London.
This release was the first since the band decided to reunite with its new lineup, featuring the return of keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, and Tom Chapman replacing former bassist Peter Hook. The sold-out show was their first performance in London in over five years, and the album includes the entire performance. During their 90-minute set, New Order performed songs spanning 25 years of hits, alongside songs not played live since the 1980s ("586", "Age of Consent", "Elegia", "1963"), culminating with a rendition of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart".