“The deeply moving ‘Verses of Love’ from Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983) is bound to melt the heart strings with some beautifully poised and intricate lacework… ‘Songs of Springtime’, from the enigmatic Ernest Moeran movingly sings out the praises of our seasons… a sparkling 75-minute collection.” Chris Bye (British Music Society)

Londinium’s debut CD, ‘The Gluepot Connection’, is a MusicWeb International Recording of the Year for 2018, one of only eight to receive two nominations: “Probably my favourite disc of the year.” (Nick Barnard); "This is a wonderful collection of English music for voices, flawlessly performed.” (Ian Lace)

“Much of the music was new to me and therefore this debut album by Londinium, which I am sure is the first of many to come, was particularly interesting… the choir is on fine form in tackling some challenging music which most definitely deserves greater exposure… This is an excellent first disc both for the quality of the singing and the ‘unjustly neglected’repertoire it has revealed.” Nicholas Kerrison (Cathedral Magazine)

“The Londinium chamber choir are a non-professional group; under Griffiths they are a force to be reckoned with, with even tone, impeccable intonation and a lively, yet nicely rounded, sound." ★★★★★ Philip Reed (Choir & Organ)

“Andrew Griffiths has put together a generous and varied ‘a cappella’ sequence, as nourishing as it is technically challenging, nowhere more so than in Arnold Bax’s towering ‘Mater ora filium’, which receives a reading of impressive accomplishment and no mean flair… and how perceptively Griffiths and his responsive group quarry the depths of both John Ireland’s ‘The Hills’ (which touchingly incorporates material from the slow movement of Elgar’s First Symphony) and Walton’s sublime setting of John Masefield’s ‘Where does the uttered music go?’… Elisabeth Lutyens’s sensuous ‘Verses of Love’ (to words by Ben Jonson) enjoys superbly controlled advocacy; and it’s always a treat to encounter Moeran’s enchanting ‘Songs of Springtime’ when they receive such ardent and fresh-faced treatment as here.”

Andrew Achenbach (Gramophone)

“[Andrew Griffiths] brings considerable expertise and intellect to this ambitious undertaking… Chief among these is ‘Verses of Love’, a stunning 12-tone piece by Elisabeth Lutyens… the unison tenor vocal lines that emerge from a dissonant aural backdrop are rendered with great care and artistry by the singers… Alan Rawsthorne’s ‘Four Seasonal Songs’ are another album highlight, and the choir delivers the composer’s imitative polyphony with precision and sensitivity… Walton’s characteristically dark, sinuous harmonies gradually build to a swirling climax that showcases the range of Londinium’s 40 singers… The ensemble’s debut, under Griffiths’s expert direction, is a notable achievement.”
Krishan Oberoi (American Record Guide)

In the middle of the last century The George pub in London’s Oxford Street was nicknamed “The Bloody Gluepot” by the conductor Sir Henry Wood who said that too many of his orchestra’s players got stuck there. The bohemian boozer also attracted composers and it’s their vocal music which is performed here. Very varied it is too… Under Andrew Griffiths the choir reveal stylistic versatility, clarity and passionate singing." ★★★★ Norman Stinchcombe (Birmingham Post)

“A rapt performance of Peter Warlock’s ‘A Full Heart’ opens [the disc], the discomforting harmonies and eerie suspensions evocatively registered by the 40 singers of the Londinium chamber choir. Impressive technical control is evident in the hazardous glissandos of Elisabeth Lutyens’s ‘Verses of Love’, and the choir's warmly expressive instincts are confirmed in a blithe, breezy account of Moeran’s ‘Songs of Springtime’, with supple, neatly pointed direction by conductor Andrew Griffiths.” ★★★★ Performance and Recording. Terry Blain (BBC Music Magazine)

“This impressive CD is a perfect introduction to some of the most evocative choral music composed by 20th century British composers - all with connections to The Gluepot. There are some old favourites here, alongside some new discoveries (at least for me)… Arnold Bax’s massive ‘Mater ora filium’…is an extremely difficult piece to ‘bring off’: it does not defeat the Londinium chamber choir. This version is superb… I cannot fault anything about this recording. The choice of music is inspirational. The singing by the Londinium chamber choir is near-perfect and the presentation of the CD is ideal.” John France (MusicWeb International)

‘The Gluepot Connection’ is a MusicWeb International Recording of the Month for April 2018. “This whole collection is of a very high standard, the choice of pieces inspired, the singing articulate, voices disciplined and finely tuned to shape and line and sensitively coloured… This collection is heartily recommended. No doubt it will figure in my Recordings of the Year choice.” Ian Lace (MusicWeb International)

"As so often before, our friends at Somm Recordings have done us proud with a superb recording... I was extremely impressed and will be looking out for more of [Londinium’s] work… They are led by musical director Andrew Griffiths, whose background is in opera as well as broadcasting. He produces an authentic and at times thrilling sound on this CD… this would be a welcome addition to anyone’s record library and is highly recommended." Richard Packer (Delius Society Journal)

"An amateur chamber choir, but a highly capable one... an impressive vocal and dynamic range.” Andrew McGregor (BBC Radio 3 Record Review)

“Arnold Bax claimed that 'Mater ora filium' was inspired by Byrd's Mass for five voices, but Bax's extravagant textures are well beyond anything that Byrd might write. It is a big, complex work and Andrew Griffiths takes a controlled and concentrated approach to Bax's richly layered textures in a performance which flows well and never wallows… this disc is full of things that should be far better known.” Robert Hugill (Planet Hugill)

"Over time I have got used to the very high quality of Somm's engineering, presentation, programming and performances. But even by those high standards this is a very fine disc indeed - possibly one of their finest… Griffiths achieves a quite superb rich blend and balance across all the parts… this new disc has a collective conviction and real sensitivity to the text(s) and an engagement with the varied styles of each composer that is massively compelling… I am a fan of Somm - they produce consistently impressive discs - but even by those standards this is rather special.” Nick Barnard (MusicWeb International)

“They relish the dreamy harmonies of Lutyens's 'Verses of Love'; they produce a thrillingly intense tone on Alan Rawsthorne's 'Four Seasonal Songs'; and they're not intimidated by the cruelly high notes in Bax's 'Mater ora filium… It's a dream of Old England, which in the best of the pieces, such as Warlock's 'The Full Heart' attains a beauty and intensity that goes far beyond nostalgia." ★★★★ Ivan Hewett (The Daily Telegraph)

“Beautifully balanced singing from the Londinium chamber choir keeps texture clear and clean. Warlock's 'The Full Heart' is a stand out, on its own worth the price of the CD… The voices of the Londinium chamber choir rise to the task, their voices glowing, “Amen, Amen”. It's as if a stained glass window were bursting into song!' Anne Ozorio (Classical Iconoclast)