John Quinn :

“Rose fils has followed in the footsteps of his father by becoming a celebrated composer and choral conductor in his own right. It’s fitting, therefore, that he should be the conductor of what I suspect may be the first CD devoted completely to his father’s music. … All the music included here – much of it in first recordings – is well worth hearing and the performances are uniformly excellent. … I was very taken with Upon Westminster Bridge… This is a captivating piece and it put me in mind of Finzi’s part songs… For the first piece on the programme, Feast Song for Saint Cecilia, Bernard Rose invited Gregory to write him a text. The piece features fine, flowing vocal lines and there’s a recurring and highly effective part for a solo soprano. I like very much the two Christmas pieces that Gregory Rose has selected. In particular The Christ Child, a setting of G.K. Chesterton is very beautiful and thoughtful, communicating very directly with the listener. I enjoyed all the music on this disc. Bernard Rose is extremely well served here by the voices of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Occasionally you can tell by the pronunciation that the choir isn’t Anglophone but they sing Rose’s music extremely well and Gregory Rose’s direction is surely uniquely authoritative. … Both organ and choir are well recorded. This is a fine tribute to an important figure in the music of the English church.”