Our Record of the Month for April 2016 is rather special: Stephen Hough and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (a team that has twice won Gramophone's ultimate 'Record of the Year' accolade) perform the Dvořák & Schumann Piano Concertos. Andris Nelsons makes his Hyperion debut conducting these divine new performances. Solo piano music comes from Cédric Tiberghien who has recorded Bartók Mikrokosmos 6 & other piano music, a fascinating programme of Hungarian-infused miniatures.

Howells Collegium Regale remains one of the most significant additions to the Anglican repertory of the twentieth century; this new complete recording from Trinity College Choir Cambridge and Stephen Layton—enhanced by the opulent organ and acoustic of Coventry Cathedral—is a welcome follow-up to their award-winning 2012 album featuring Howells' Requiem. Piers Lane and the Goldner String Quartet have returned to the studio once more, this time to record the spirited Bruch Piano Quintet; also included are his String Quartet No 1 and a set of Swedish Dances for violin and piano.

From LSO Live we have two new albums: the LSO String Ensemble, under leader Roman Simović, has recorded Schubert 'Death and the Maiden'—in the expansive string orchestra version by Gustav Mahler—and the Shostakovich Chamber Symphony, a re-working of his String Quartet No 8. The Panufnik Legacies offers a galvanizing glimpse into the workings of the composers of the future, eighteen new names getting their chance to dazzle; François-Xavier Roth fearlessly conducts the London Symphony Orchestra.

The King's Singers have made a welcome return to the microphones for Signum Classics to record the lovingly curated How fair thou art—Biblical Passions by Palestrina which includes a selection from the Canticum canticorum publication of 1584. Choral explorations of very different natures come from Christopher Monks and his expert Armonico Consort with Greensleeves—Folk Music of the British Isles, and in the Winchester Cathedral 50th Anniversary EP, the anniversary being that of Geoff Stephens' chart-topping and eponymous 1966 classic, spirited performances coming from the Winchester Cathedral Choristers.

Also from Signum this month we have a new album from London Early Opera, Bridget Cunningham dancing her vibrant forces through Handel at Vauxhall, and Joseph Nolan completing his admirable cycle of Widor Organ Symphonies, the 'Gothique' No 9 and 'Romane' No 10 being performed, respectively, on the Cavaillé-Coll organs of La Madeleine in Paris and Saint-Sernin in Toulouse.