Their tone is clean and the phrasing well shaped, with intelligent application of slurs. 

The Times on Fugue, June 21, 2008

The accomplished Onyx Brass. 

The Times, London

With its scrupulous attention to balance, timbre and nuance of phrasing, it is reminiscent of the Philip Jones quintet in its prime, where total integration of five musical personalities becomes an ensemble that is much more than the sum of its parts….five stars. 

BBC Music Magazine

Onyx Brass has established itself as one of the finest exponents of brass chamber music and education in the UK and this recording affirms their outstanding ability to communicate and perform… Produced by Rachel Smith, this CD captures the intimate, vocal sound of the Onyx players with consistently refined balance and clarity…Each tonally matched fugue in this recording demonstrates that Onyx brass is a combination of musicians who have a unified musical philosophy and skills which together produce an ensemble of rare quality… Onyx Brass is one the finest examples of the British brass quintet, not only perpetuating the traditions and style of the Philip Jones Brass ensemble but also extending the repertoire, aspirations and reputation of brass chamber music.” 

Brass Herald on Fugue, late 2008, Kevin Price, Head of Brass RWCMD Autumn 2008

Five stars out of five… the premise of this delightful album builds a dialogue between Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and Shostakovich’s own studies in the form, orchestrated for the clarion tones of the Onyx Brass ensemble…Bach’s originals emerge refreshed by this new instrumental context.

Classic FM on Fugue, August 2008

This is a splendidly planned and executed release, which no devotee of either composer could fail to enjoy…Apart from the exhilaration of the playing and the superb quality of the recording, made in a north London church, the disc has a nice pogical structure… 

IRR on Fugue, July/August 2008