Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable programme. John Rutter's five arrangements are among the highlights, wittily inventive in When the Saints go marching in, bringing a barn dance spirit to Sourwood Mountains, a simple beauty to Black sheep, a joyfully extrovert flavour to Down by the riverside, coming to an exuberant climax with The Battle Hymn of the Republic, which ends the concert rousingly. The choir is easily led towards sentimentality and Blowin' in the wind, What a wonderful world and Bridge over troubled water do edge in this direction, warmly done as they are. The choir is readily at home in the Shaker tune Simple gifts, Shenandoah and the spirituals, and elsewhere the jazzy rhythms in the catchy numbers have that special transatlantic freedom which comes naturally to Americans: just try Cindy or the juxtaposition of Lida Rose and Will lever tell you (from The Music Man), which also features a barbershop chorale—very fetching indeed—or The Battle of New Orleans to see what I mean.

– Gramophone [12/1991]