Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

We have met Sigfrid Karg-Elert before: after all, who could forget such a name? Usually he gets a single piece included in an organ recital if the organist wants to show us his avant-garde credentials. However there is more to the man than this, as shown in this collection of songs from the early part of the 20th century. The Gough Duo are husband and wife. Rachel plays the violin and Rupert the organ and on six of the 11 tracks they are joined by the soprano Natalie Clifton-Griffiths. To my ears the pieces where violin and voice are entwined around each other reach the greatest heights but that should not be taken as a slight on the organist who also plays very well, albeit on the now less than perfect 1931 Compton Organ at Downside Abbey. Whilst the musicianship is commendable this reviewer finds over an hour of Karg-Elert rather heavy going. This is a CD to dip into rather than trying to work all the way through in one sitting.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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