Corvus Consort and Louise Thomson’s album ‘Welcome Joy’ is the subject of an article in the latest edition of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Philharmonic Magazine.

The magazine’s editorial team opens by saying that “we cherish sharing musical discoveries with RPS members, especially when there’s an opportunity to highlight a recording we’ve enjoyed from a vocal group bringing a fresh approach to familiar and new repertoire.” Since its release, ‘Welcome Joy’ has enjoyed critical acclaim, and was recently selected by BBC Music Magazine as one of the 13 best classical albums of 2024.

Writing for the magazine, Corvus Consort’s director Freddie Crowley says “I’m hugely grateful to the amazing team of young singers who brought this project to life, as well as harpist Louise Thomson, Shruthi Rajasekar, and everyone at Chandos for getting behind the project. It’s been a real joy from start to finish.”

Alongside works by Imogen Holst, her father Gustav Holst and Elizabeth Poston, ‘Welcome Joy’ includes works by talented living female composers, three of whose voices are heard in the article. Indian-American composer Shruthi Rajasekar sheds light on the two works that she was commissioned to write for the album, describing them as “affinity spaces where women can be together in joy”. British composer Gemma McGregor, whose work Love Was His Meaning was written as part of a group of works on the subject of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love, speaks of the inspiration she found for her work in Julian’s “gift of time that so few women had”, while Dame Judith Weir writes of the importance of contributing to the repertoire for women’s voices, something that is an intrinsic motivation for the collaboration between Corvus Consort and Louise Thomson.

To learn more about ‘Welcome Joy’ and to read reviews of the album, please visit this link.