2013 Gramophone Award Finalists Announced

The Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2013 shortlist was announced today and Linn's Dunedin Consort and Phantasm are both nominated for an award.

Dunedin Consort is nominated in the 'Baroque Vocal' category for its groundbreaking recording of 'J.S. Bach: John Passion, Reconstruction of Bach's Passion Liturgy'.  Gramophone named this spectacular recording its 'Recording of the Month' stating: '...naturalness and emotional honesty are what emerge from this tight-knit and perfectly paced ensemble Passion, in which Bach's complex succession of recitatives, arias, choruses and chorales has seldom sounded so convincingly of a piece.'  This is the third time Dunedin Consort has been shortlisted in the 'Baroque Vocal' category.  The Consort was also shortlisted in 2007 for its recording of Handel's 'Messiah (Dublin Version, 1742)', a category in which they triumphed and won their first major award!  Two years later they were shortlisted for another Handel recording: 'Acis and Galatea (Original Cannons Performing Version 1718)'.

Phantasm is nominated in the 'Baroque Instrumental' category for 'William Lawes: Consorts to the Organ'.  The recording was also nominated for a 2013 BBC Music Award and received several five star reviews with Gramophone describing it as a 'first-rate Linn recording.'  Full of premiere recordings (and with a Bonus track for digital customers), this recording is a worthy Finalist.  The popular ensemble catapulted into international prominence when its debut recording of works by Henry Purcell won a 1997 Gramophone Award for 'Best Baroque Instrumental Recording'.  Phantasm's previous Linn recordings, 'William Byrd: Complete Consort Music' and 'John Ward: Consort music for five and six viols' were also Finalists in 2011 and 2010 - perhaps this will be third time lucky!