MEDIA KIT
Press and Presenters, view the Skylark digital press kit
Recent Press Releases
SELECTED PAST REVIEWS
“a huge success, spot-on…I found I couldn’t stop this, I had to listen to the whole thing!”
Andrew McGregor & Ben Gernon, BBC Record Review | Listen to Full Review (begins 25:00) | Read Transcript
". . . Skylark adopted startlingly straight and raw production unlike anything anyone is likely to have heard from them before. They did not whisper to God, they rather shouted, cajoled, enjoined; they did battle with thieves and henchmen in pursuit of their geographic and spiritual goals, and ultimately recessed into the dark night having found transcendent peace. Our recollection of this singular concert will likely endure."
Lee Eiseman, The Boston Musical Intelligencer | Read Full Review
"The brightest new songbird in North America...Skylark's extraordinary breadth of programming...is matched by an enviable depth of interpretation...a cut above. Tuning and ensemble are never less than first class, but beyond the razor-sharp technique there is a disarming sense of emotional honesty."
Tony Guy, Limelight Australia | Read full review
“...16 unified voices...a wonderful sound...crystalline...Hallelujah!...rigorous, original, stimulating, and beautiful..."
Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3 'In Tune' | Listen to full broadcast
“...⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...performed with elegance, brilliance, focus, and a minimum of fuss...every note was hand-crafted, shades of speed and dynamic were meticulously observed, and the choral blend was superlative..their return is eagerly anticipated"
Barry Creasy, Music OMH (London) | Read full review
“An American choir...was the highlight of a very British festival...as mellifluously tuned as any British choir...they were gripping...brilliantly put across..sincerity and unforced beauty"
Richard Morrison, Chief Music Critic, The Times of London | Read full review
“The ensemble is excellent, the solos beautifully taken and the whole sequence is thoughtfully designed and luminously recorded"
Andrew McGregor, BBC Record Review | Listen to full broadcast
“beautifully elegant...imaginative and intriguing"
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill | Read full review
“a tour de force...Skylark’s international career seems to be taking flight...their performing and programming talents will be recognized as exceptional wherever they go"
Geoffrey Wieting, Boston Music Intelligencer | Read full review
“This is how it's done!…the haunting Vinea mea electa by Francis Poulenc is perfectly sung here, and even the traditional hymns are performed with deep respect and a fresh outlook. I don't think I've ever heard Were You There?'done so well and with such unfeigned expression…(Skylark’s) unwavering pitch, dynamic control and ensemble balance are breathtaking. And so is the sound engineering.”
Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinel | Read full review
“Each of these 16 songs had force, and were sung with deep musicality. The thematic program – tracing the various emotions of Christ on the cross, from forgiveness to distress to reunion – had a mesmerizing effect, almost like a dramatic monologue."
Keith Powers, Cape Cod Times | Read full review
“a world-class chamber choir made up of eighteen voices and one musical soul...Guard and the impeccable Skylark singers take us on a musically inspired and spiritually inspiring journey that mixes unforeseen discoveries with fortuitous reencounters with the familiar"
Rafael de Acha, Rafael's Music Notes | Read full review
“…it’s surprising how often an unimaginative, ill-conceived program fatally undermines a performance–or recording–even by the most accomplished artists. No worries here: Skylark Vocal Ensemble’s artistic director Matthew Guard knows something about the importance of programming, and how to achieve excellence in the process…the singing by Skylark’s 12 voices…is of the highest standard for any area or any repertoire. Anyone who appreciates first-class vocal ensemble performance will happily hear this–and hear it again and again, made even more attractive by the uniformly excellent soloists…Here’s a Christmas-themed disc that easily can come down from the shelf and enjoy a place among your routine listening choices throughout the year. I loved it. Strongly recommended."
David Vernier, Classics Today (USA) | Full review
“Here’s a pretty thing indeed for fans of a cappella choral music who want to listen to something just a little bit different at this time of year. American vocal ensemble Skylark was founded in 2011 and this, their third recording shows the same attention to thoughtful programming as Crossing Over, their imaginative CD of music inspired by the idea of near death experiences…The choir of 12 blend perfectly, their fresh, enthusiastic approach is pleasantly low on vibrato and owes something perhaps to the aesthetics of Anonymous 4 in their prime…Skylark captures the essential spirit of these diverse works, drawing the listener in to embrace the message behind the music…Winter’s Night is the perfect album for any adventurous soul who fancies spending an hour reflecting on the mystery and pacific message of the Nativity.”
Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine (Australia) | Full review
“I like the blend a lot, but better still is Skylark’s program…Distler’s 7 settings of Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen are separated by a well-chosen selection of pieces…Beginning with a world premier by none other than Gregorio Allegri…Christmas music for troubled times seems to be the underlying theme, with composers from Distler and Howells to Elizabeth Poston and Peter Warlock, finding ways to celebrate the Christmas message despite their circumstances”
Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Record Review (UK) | Full Broadcast Program, including air-plays
Chosen as one of the (nine) “Best classical Christmas recordings of 2017”
Lisa Flynn, WFMT (Chicago) | Full article
"...a wonderful collection of rarely heard gems that the ensemble performs with stellar accuracy and emotion. Their performance will satisfy even the most discerning ear with their technical excellence and uniformly exceptional soloists...the ensemble singing is seamless in color, blending and clarity...this ensemble is able to achieve a balance of sound that is simply wonderful. It is sheer bliss to experience choral music expressed with the highest degree of artistry and excellence. Each track is superbly done, and any fan of vocal ensembles will find this album delightful and a must have!"
Andorjan Horvát, Staccatofy | Full review
“impeccably tuned…fetching austerity and pristine beauty…fine singing, highly recommended”
Jason Victor Serinus, The Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) | Full article
“a gorgeously sung CD…The nearly fifty minutes of music of this perfectly engineered (by Andrew Carballeira) CD fly by, even after repeated hearings…track after track the hard-working artists of the Skylark Vocal Ensemble keep the listener immersed in their rich sound and musicality…ideally suited to a winter’s night”
Rafael de Acha, Rafael’s Music Notes | Full review
“…Fascinating concert….impeccable diction and a seamlessly blended sound… Singing in a shimmering pianissimo that rises to a triumphant crescendo, the Skylark ensemble practically opens the heavens with the beauty of their sound…”
Navida Stein, Stage Buddy NYC (New York) | Read full review
"…can sway you softly into calm and then all but throw you across the room with sheer harmonic force…You’ll be a little different when Skylark is done with you…"
Porter Anderson, Music for Writers | Read full review
“…(Skylark) shone brightly…crescendos were vivid and affecting…the choir brought emotion…into stark focus…it packed a wallop”
Lucid Culture (NYC) | Read full review
“…awe-inspiring, spot-on performance which gave these songs renewed meaning and life… I was held absolutely spellbound. This world-class group not is to be missed…”
Susan Miron, The Boston Music Intelligencer | Read full review
“…ranges from somber and contemplative to reassuring and ecstatic…”
Steve Smith, The Boston Globe | Read full article
“How many of us never pursue our calling, our true passion, because we play it safe, opt for the more familiar route that certain forces, whether from without or within, urge us to follow? This was the situation facing Matthew Guard in 2011… What evolved from those early performances was Skylark Vocal Ensemble, a professional choral group that includes some of Boston’s best singers…”
David Weininger, The Boston Globe | Read full article
“…finely judged tempi and dynamics…this choir’s wonderful control and shaping of phrases, as well as its fine sonorities add so much to these performances…"
Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer (UK) | Read full review
"…gorgeous, evocative, and other-worldly…"
Maggie Stapleton, Second Inversion | Read full review
“…as haunting a collection of music as has been released in the last year…the lustrous choir…(brings) rapt intensity…”
New York Music Daily | Read full review
"…Skylark is only recently on the scene, but this album opener knowingly reaches in through the ribs and grips the vitals…"
Doyle Armbrust, Q2 Music/WQXR | Read full review
"…be prepared to be inspired…"
Dean Frey, Music for Several Instruments | Read full review
“…serious students of modern choral music will find great originality and depth here…This is new music, put together in a new way, beautifully sung and recorded…”
James Manheim, All Music | Read full review
Andrew McGregor & Ben Gernon, BBC Record Review | Listen to Full Review (begins 25:00) | Read Transcript
". . . Skylark adopted startlingly straight and raw production unlike anything anyone is likely to have heard from them before. They did not whisper to God, they rather shouted, cajoled, enjoined; they did battle with thieves and henchmen in pursuit of their geographic and spiritual goals, and ultimately recessed into the dark night having found transcendent peace. Our recollection of this singular concert will likely endure."
Lee Eiseman, The Boston Musical Intelligencer | Read Full Review
"The brightest new songbird in North America...Skylark's extraordinary breadth of programming...is matched by an enviable depth of interpretation...a cut above. Tuning and ensemble are never less than first class, but beyond the razor-sharp technique there is a disarming sense of emotional honesty."
Tony Guy, Limelight Australia | Read full review
“...16 unified voices...a wonderful sound...crystalline...Hallelujah!...rigorous, original, stimulating, and beautiful..."
Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3 'In Tune' | Listen to full broadcast
“...⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...performed with elegance, brilliance, focus, and a minimum of fuss...every note was hand-crafted, shades of speed and dynamic were meticulously observed, and the choral blend was superlative..their return is eagerly anticipated"
Barry Creasy, Music OMH (London) | Read full review
“An American choir...was the highlight of a very British festival...as mellifluously tuned as any British choir...they were gripping...brilliantly put across..sincerity and unforced beauty"
Richard Morrison, Chief Music Critic, The Times of London | Read full review
“The ensemble is excellent, the solos beautifully taken and the whole sequence is thoughtfully designed and luminously recorded"
Andrew McGregor, BBC Record Review | Listen to full broadcast
“beautifully elegant...imaginative and intriguing"
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill | Read full review
“a tour de force...Skylark’s international career seems to be taking flight...their performing and programming talents will be recognized as exceptional wherever they go"
Geoffrey Wieting, Boston Music Intelligencer | Read full review
“This is how it's done!…the haunting Vinea mea electa by Francis Poulenc is perfectly sung here, and even the traditional hymns are performed with deep respect and a fresh outlook. I don't think I've ever heard Were You There?'done so well and with such unfeigned expression…(Skylark’s) unwavering pitch, dynamic control and ensemble balance are breathtaking. And so is the sound engineering.”
Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinel | Read full review
“Each of these 16 songs had force, and were sung with deep musicality. The thematic program – tracing the various emotions of Christ on the cross, from forgiveness to distress to reunion – had a mesmerizing effect, almost like a dramatic monologue."
Keith Powers, Cape Cod Times | Read full review
“a world-class chamber choir made up of eighteen voices and one musical soul...Guard and the impeccable Skylark singers take us on a musically inspired and spiritually inspiring journey that mixes unforeseen discoveries with fortuitous reencounters with the familiar"
Rafael de Acha, Rafael's Music Notes | Read full review
“…it’s surprising how often an unimaginative, ill-conceived program fatally undermines a performance–or recording–even by the most accomplished artists. No worries here: Skylark Vocal Ensemble’s artistic director Matthew Guard knows something about the importance of programming, and how to achieve excellence in the process…the singing by Skylark’s 12 voices…is of the highest standard for any area or any repertoire. Anyone who appreciates first-class vocal ensemble performance will happily hear this–and hear it again and again, made even more attractive by the uniformly excellent soloists…Here’s a Christmas-themed disc that easily can come down from the shelf and enjoy a place among your routine listening choices throughout the year. I loved it. Strongly recommended."
David Vernier, Classics Today (USA) | Full review
“Here’s a pretty thing indeed for fans of a cappella choral music who want to listen to something just a little bit different at this time of year. American vocal ensemble Skylark was founded in 2011 and this, their third recording shows the same attention to thoughtful programming as Crossing Over, their imaginative CD of music inspired by the idea of near death experiences…The choir of 12 blend perfectly, their fresh, enthusiastic approach is pleasantly low on vibrato and owes something perhaps to the aesthetics of Anonymous 4 in their prime…Skylark captures the essential spirit of these diverse works, drawing the listener in to embrace the message behind the music…Winter’s Night is the perfect album for any adventurous soul who fancies spending an hour reflecting on the mystery and pacific message of the Nativity.”
Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine (Australia) | Full review
“I like the blend a lot, but better still is Skylark’s program…Distler’s 7 settings of Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen are separated by a well-chosen selection of pieces…Beginning with a world premier by none other than Gregorio Allegri…Christmas music for troubled times seems to be the underlying theme, with composers from Distler and Howells to Elizabeth Poston and Peter Warlock, finding ways to celebrate the Christmas message despite their circumstances”
Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Record Review (UK) | Full Broadcast Program, including air-plays
Chosen as one of the (nine) “Best classical Christmas recordings of 2017”
Lisa Flynn, WFMT (Chicago) | Full article
"...a wonderful collection of rarely heard gems that the ensemble performs with stellar accuracy and emotion. Their performance will satisfy even the most discerning ear with their technical excellence and uniformly exceptional soloists...the ensemble singing is seamless in color, blending and clarity...this ensemble is able to achieve a balance of sound that is simply wonderful. It is sheer bliss to experience choral music expressed with the highest degree of artistry and excellence. Each track is superbly done, and any fan of vocal ensembles will find this album delightful and a must have!"
Andorjan Horvát, Staccatofy | Full review
“impeccably tuned…fetching austerity and pristine beauty…fine singing, highly recommended”
Jason Victor Serinus, The Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) | Full article
“a gorgeously sung CD…The nearly fifty minutes of music of this perfectly engineered (by Andrew Carballeira) CD fly by, even after repeated hearings…track after track the hard-working artists of the Skylark Vocal Ensemble keep the listener immersed in their rich sound and musicality…ideally suited to a winter’s night”
Rafael de Acha, Rafael’s Music Notes | Full review
“…Fascinating concert….impeccable diction and a seamlessly blended sound… Singing in a shimmering pianissimo that rises to a triumphant crescendo, the Skylark ensemble practically opens the heavens with the beauty of their sound…”
Navida Stein, Stage Buddy NYC (New York) | Read full review
"…can sway you softly into calm and then all but throw you across the room with sheer harmonic force…You’ll be a little different when Skylark is done with you…"
Porter Anderson, Music for Writers | Read full review
“…(Skylark) shone brightly…crescendos were vivid and affecting…the choir brought emotion…into stark focus…it packed a wallop”
Lucid Culture (NYC) | Read full review
“…awe-inspiring, spot-on performance which gave these songs renewed meaning and life… I was held absolutely spellbound. This world-class group not is to be missed…”
Susan Miron, The Boston Music Intelligencer | Read full review
“…ranges from somber and contemplative to reassuring and ecstatic…”
Steve Smith, The Boston Globe | Read full article
“How many of us never pursue our calling, our true passion, because we play it safe, opt for the more familiar route that certain forces, whether from without or within, urge us to follow? This was the situation facing Matthew Guard in 2011… What evolved from those early performances was Skylark Vocal Ensemble, a professional choral group that includes some of Boston’s best singers…”
David Weininger, The Boston Globe | Read full article
“…finely judged tempi and dynamics…this choir’s wonderful control and shaping of phrases, as well as its fine sonorities add so much to these performances…"
Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer (UK) | Read full review
"…gorgeous, evocative, and other-worldly…"
Maggie Stapleton, Second Inversion | Read full review
“…as haunting a collection of music as has been released in the last year…the lustrous choir…(brings) rapt intensity…”
New York Music Daily | Read full review
"…Skylark is only recently on the scene, but this album opener knowingly reaches in through the ribs and grips the vitals…"
Doyle Armbrust, Q2 Music/WQXR | Read full review
"…be prepared to be inspired…"
Dean Frey, Music for Several Instruments | Read full review
“…serious students of modern choral music will find great originality and depth here…This is new music, put together in a new way, beautifully sung and recorded…”
James Manheim, All Music | Read full review
