Quo Vadis (1939)

Dyson’s oratorio Quo Vadis was, in part, an attempt to purge the painful memories of serving in the first world war, confronting the vestiges of post-traumatic stress two decades on. ...the work represents a spiritual inquiry of an agnostic rather than Christian nature, questioning life, death and the great beyond. ...In this fine performance some of Dyson’s soul-searching resonated still.

Worth hearing? The short answer is yes. ...Whether it was the glorious waves of choral sound from the excellent Festival Chorus that spilled down the cathedral’s nave or the beautiful viola solo that emerged from the heart of the Philharmonia Orchestra, attention was paid to the sensitive and the powerful qualities of Dyson’s admittedly conservative idiom.

Worth hearing? The short answer is yes. ...Whether it was the glorious waves of choral sound from the excellent Festival Chorus that spilled down the cathedral’s nave or the beautiful viola solo that emerged from the heart of the Philharmonia Orchestra, attention was paid to the sensitive and the powerful qualities of Dyson’s admittedly conservative idiom.

...an extremely impressive piece...

Whether or not [Dyson] resented the neglect of his music, it completely failed to daunt him. Not only did he produce a formidable sequence of new choral works even after he retired from his post as Principal of the Royal College of Music in 1952, his idiom remained unapologetically affirmative as ever, splendidly represented in this choral work described as ‘a cycle of poems’.

It's a very atmospheric piece, very well constructed, very melodic, and the orchestration is expert.