LEIGHTON: Cello Concerto / Symphony No. 3, "Laudes musicae"

The Concerto is a strong and compelling work. . . . The Scherzo is a brilliant affair and the slow movement is placed last, poetic and passionate, resolving some of the cogently argued conflicts of the first movement. Wallfisch's playing is first-rate throughout. . . . [The Third Symphony] is more of an orchestral song cycle than a symphony, although there is certainly a symphonic breadth and logic in the music. . . . The central setting of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem about Pan discovering how to make music from a reed is a brilliant achievement, with Neil Mackie an excellent soloist. . . . If you don't know [Leighton's] music, make a start with this disc. It is strongly recommended. -- Gramophone