Actus Tragicus The words ‘art of dying’ sound strange to modern ears, perhaps. Although there are related philosophical, religious and ‘end of life’ health care, and much-debated legal concerns today surrounding the subject of dying, we moderns probably rarely, if ever, think of preparing for death as an art form. A central topic in sermons, hymns and contemplative literature, death and dying was a chief pastoral concern of the church of Johann Sebastian Bach’s day. Finding consolation and facing fears and anxieties near the time of death, and also as a part of everyday living, are arguably at the heart of the sacred vocal works of Bach, who is regarded by many as a kind of theologian in music.

Eric Clapton claimed in the press release for Back Home, his 14th album of original material, that "One of the earliest statements I made about myself was back in the late '80s, with Journeyman. This album completes that cycle in terms of talking about my whole journey as an itinerant musician and where I find myself now, starting a new family…

Since founding the group in 1979, Dominique Vellard has spent 35 years inspiring the Ensemble Gilles Binchois to create some of the essential contributions in the field of medieval music and the Renaissance performance. This new recording gives us the opportunity to discover the vocal music of composer Heinrich Isaac, whose brilliant compositions are both generous and captivating. Vellard leads the Ensemble Gilles Binchois in Isaac's Missa Virgo Prudentissima, performed using a manuscript preserved in the Dome of Florence.

Since their re-emergence in 1973, the Shadows had established themselves among the most tasteful guitar instrumental bands of the age. True, their greatest singles hits tended to be vocal numbers – the Eurovision Song Contest smash "Let Me Be the One" paramount among them. But mention the Shadows to the average record buyer, and still the first thought that comes to mind was of seamless, sweet, and soaring guitar epics – which was precisely the thinking behind this set. Despite a track listing which featured three of the band's most recent 45s, String of Hits was not titled for the band's own singles success…

The Smithereens' debut EP, originally released in a tiny run on a small New York indie in 1983, sounds like a dry run for the far superior full-length debut, 1986's Especially for You…

A deep dive into the one of most collectable jazz catalogues in the world, a selection of some of the rarest and most sought-after recordings from the 60s and 70s, a time when British jazz began to find its own identity. Drawn from the iconic labels of Decca, Deram, Argo, EMI Columbia/Lansdowne Series, Fontana, Mercury, & Philips.

The incredible 13th studio album from one of the most most influential experimental rock bands of the post-punk era, the surrealistic proto-industrialists Chrome!

Styled as a conspicuous companion piece to Tug of War, Pipes of Peace mirrors its 1982 cousin in many ways: its title track holds up a mirror to its forefather – and, if that weren't enough, Paul McCartney serves up the knowing "Tug of Peace," an almost-electro collage that twists the songs into McCartney II territory – it serves up two showcases for duets with a former Motown star along with a cameo from fusion superstar Stanley Clarke and, most importantly, it is also produced by former Fab Four ringleader George Martin…