Matthews: Vespers, Symphony No.7

Unlike many contemporary composers, David Matthews enjoys working in the great forms of the past - symphony, string quartet, oratorio - and finding ways of renewing them. He has never shied away from tonality and possesses a musical language that is clear and direct. Matthews's Vespers, a grand oratorio masterfully combining a sense of solemnity and exhilaration, is an important addition to the great tradition of choral music. The same feeling of boisterous energy is felt in his Symphony No.7. Inspired by Sibelius's Seventh Symphony - a one-movement work that subtly transitions from slow to fast and back again - Matthews creates a piece of exquisitely scored beauty and richness. Both works are heard here in their world premiere recordings.