“Hughes commands attention throughout – there’s no ‘clever’ underlining, no irrelevant tonal refulgences or prima donna posturings. Intense concentration on text and emotional nuance replace them, and dovetail seamlessly with Joseph Middleton’s similarly insightful piano playing.” ★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording
Editor’s Choice for Gramaphone Magazine Awards Issue 2021 - “[Hughes] and the excellent Joseph Middleton create a remarkable sound world of intense intimacy, captured by BIS in demonstration-quality sound.”
Finalist for Presto Recordings of the Year 2021 & Editor’s Choice (September 2021) - “It's relatively unusual to hear a light, bright soprano in the two Mahler cycles, but Hughes's vernal freshness and vulnerability pay real dividends in the second Wayfarer song in particular, complemented by some sparkling, detailed playing from Middleton; the real attraction here, though, is Helen Grime's vivid and often visceral Bright Travellers, which paints a compelling picture of the joys, anxieties and pain of pregnancy and early motherhood.”
“Light-voiced but strong and flexible, Hughes – with Middleton a sympathetic partner throughout – brings out the variety of Grime’s writing…An imaginative recital, beautifully executed.”