Christophers's taut, vibrant, and beautifully sprung account is bright and dazzling, yet so often the score ought to inhabit the tortured light and shade of Caravaggio...the choruses are finely chiselled; but the sheer polish and manicure sometimes works against the visceral immediacy of any underlying 'sore distress'...The star of the set is Sophie Bevan's Iphis.

The choral singing is exemplary, technically perfect (particularly in Handel’s coloratura runs) and with a real sense of engagement in the unfolding drama. The solo contributions are equally accomplished, none more so than James Gilchrist.

Christophers draws supple singing from his expert choir, The Sixteen, and his soloists are uniformly good, especially James Gilchrist’s inward-looking Jephtha.

Gilchrist conveys affable nonchalance in the early stages...and aptly characterises Jephtha's deepening emotional responses to the unfolding tragedy...Bevan's Iphis is endearingly naive in 'Tune the soft melodious lute'...whereas her modest resignation to a tragic doom is profoundly moving...The orchestra play excellently.

Iphis is sung here by the radiant British star soprano Sophie Bevan in her most important recording to date...This is an unforgettable performance which all Handelians will want to hear...In sum, Christophers's considered view of Handel, devoid of extremes and eccentricities, and the work of his outstanding choir and orchestra make this a solid recommendation for anyone contemplating Jephtha for the first time.

two hours of deeply profound music, beautifully performed here by Harry Christophers and his stellar cast of soloists. Sophie Bevan is dazzling as the daughter, Iphis...and James Gilchrist is simply sensational as the anguished Jephtha, breaking our hearts with Waft her, angels, through the sky.

This pristine recording by Harry Christophers and his Sixteen Choir and Orchestra does almost full justice to it. My only quibble is that it projects polished urbanity rather than raw emotion, though the cast (James Gilchrist, Susan Bickley, Sophie Bevan prominent) cannot be faulted for stylishness or expressivity.