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These are listed by composer, rather than by date.
James as Oberon, Landestheater Magdeburg
Bach: B Minor Mass/Lincoln Choral Society at Lincoln Cathedral
Not only does Huw Jeffries have a voice of
sumptuous quality, he has that special ability to reach out to the
audience and make them feel involved in the emotion of the moment, an
element of interpretation which for me is vital for a totally rounded
performance.
Angela Smith: Lincolnshire Echo
Bach: St John Passion/Hertford Choral Society at All Saints' Church
Emma Kirkby (Soprano) led a group of soloists whose
conception of the music was unerring. It was a delight to observe the
fluency of technique and artistry upon which Miss Kirkby's reputation has
justly been established, and without detriment to this to remark upon the
fine qualities displayed by her colleagues on this occasion - James Huw
Jeffries (Countertenor), Joseph Cornwell (Tenor) and Jeremy White
(Bass).
R. J. Pope: Hertfordshire Mercury
Bach: St Matthew Passion/Aldeburgh Music Club at the Snape Maltings
It was a rare treat to hear "Have Mercy, Lord" sung
by countertenor James Huw Jeffries.
Hugh Young: East Anglia Daily
Times
The arias "Have mercy Lord on me" and "If my tears be
unavailing" ere sung by James Huw Jeffries, countertenor, and were
particularly moving.
MB: The Aldeburgh Gazette
Bernstein: Chichester Psalms and Maurice Greene: Sacred Songs/Bach Elgar Choir at Central Presbyterian Church, Hamilton
...this amazing voice. His part in Bernstein's
Chichester Psalms and in songs by Maurice Greene shone very
brightly.
The Hamilton Spectator
The solo part in the second movement was taken by countertenor James Huw
Jeffries, who sang evenly and with great sensitivity.
Russell Reid: The Courier and Advertiser, Dundee 19 March 2001
Britten: Abraham and Isaac
Fairfield Halls, Croydon
...Jeffries was at his very best, now skilfully blending with his equally
fine partner (Philip Slane, tenor) and with a fine stylistic sense.
Howard Thomas, The Croydon Advertiser, 27 April 2001
Britten: A Midsummer Night's
Dream
Landestheater Magdeburg
...The English countertenor James Huw Jeffries is a
beautifully sung Oberon.
The Hamilton
Spectator
Gluck: Orfeo and Eurydice/Opera Spezzata at The Drum Theatre, Plymouth
James Huw Jeffries as Orfeo produces a clear,
attractive countertenor sound...the anguish of Orfeo, and Eurydice
trailing her shroud, expresses dramatic and vocal truth. It was a fine
conclusion to a moving experience.
Bill Stone: Plymouth Evening
Herald
Handel: Israel in Egypt/Lincoln Choral Society at Lincoln Cathedral
Quite outstanding was the male alto, James Huw
Jeffries. His Part One aria had just the right qualities of buoyancy and
sprightliness, culminating in a brilliant Cadenza - in contrast to the
serene and otherworldly "Thou Shalt" from Part Two.
Joe Conway:
Lincolnshire Echo
Handel: Israel in Egypt/Nottingham Bach Choir at St Mary's Church
The countertenor James Huw Jeffries and tenor Neil
Mackenzie both projected well and had a secure sense of style. They also
blended in the expressive duet "Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth Thy
people", and Jeffries shone in the aria "Thou shalt bring them
in".
Wendy Hancock: Nottingham Evening Post
Handel: Jephtha/Mainzer Singakademie at St Stephan's Church
Hamor was sung by the young countertenor James Huw
Jeffries, who showed us his extraordinarily natural, shining voice and
avoided the artificial mannerisms of so many of his colleagues. In the
precisely sung duets he blended wonderfully with Ruth Holton.
Roland Furch:
Mainzer Rhein-Zeitung
Handel: Jephtha/Sheffield Oratorio Chorus at Sheffield Cathedral
Remember the name of James Huw Jeffries, for this young singer has all the ingredients to become one of the leading countertenors. As yet, his voices not always perfectly under control but it has a gorgeous quality, strong and clearly focused through the entire range. Handel's Oratorio Jephtha may be over-long yet we were sustained through the threadbare patches the anticipation of the next aria from Jeffries, while his duet, "These Labours Past", with soprano Alison Barlow would have graced the world's most prestigious venues. David Denton: Yorkshire Post
Handel: Messiah/Birmingham University Liturgical Choir at Birmingham Early Music Festival
James Huw Jeffries is an arresting alto, his reedy
voice excitingly projected, with "He was despised" making us forget
the extreme discomfort of a long session on unaccommodating wooden
chairs.
Christopher Morley: Birmingham Post
Handel: Messiah/Lichfield Cathedral Special Choir at Lichfield Cathedral
The countertenor James Huw Jeffries must surely
have won over any lurking traditionalist who feels the part is better sung
by a female alto. His variety of tone colour was exceptional, a far cry
from the uniform pure sound we might have heard 20 years ago and his
performance of the air "He Was Despised" was quite outstanding with
wonderfully executed ornamentation reflecting the meaning of the words
rather than masking it.
Megan Barr: Lichfield Mercury
Handel: Messiah/Norwich Cathedral Chamber Choir at Norwich Cathedral
There was much ornamentation from the soloists and
in particular from countertenor James Huw Jeffries, whose remarkable,
almost soprano toned voice was certainly an outstanding feature. Was there
ever such a "refiner's fire"?
Michael Drake: East Anglia Daily
Post
Handel: Rinaldo/Abbey Opera at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London
In the performances I heard (1711 on August 7, 1731
on August 5) there was much fluent, unforced, accurately tuned singing.
Best of all, that of the 1711 Rinaldo, James Huw Jeffries, ex-Magdalen,
RCM and Britten-Pears School. He showed himself stage-wise, lively,
confident, endowed, fluent in divisions. He was moving in the great "Cara
sposa...Cor ingrato" sequence, with many a note and phrase poignantly
weighted, swelled, and shaped. His decorations were stylish. He even had a
trill.
Andrew Porter: Opera Magazine
James Huw Jeffries, in contrast, had masses of
voice as Rinaldo, and sounded superb, especially in his duets with the
sopranos. His performance of "Cara sposa" made me shiver.
H. E. Elsom:
Internet Opera Reviews'
Handel: Saul/Ipswich Bach Choir at the Ipswich Corn Exchange
The star of the evening was countertenor James Huw
Jeffries as David. From a slight frame emerged a passionate, amazing
voice: fine, true, controlled.
Hugh Young: Ipswich Evening
Star
Handel: Saul/Cambridge University Chamber Choir at King's College, Cambridge
The soloists too were outstanding, and special
mention should be made of the radiant Manahn Thomas and pure-voiced Huw
Jeffries.
Daniel Came/Varsity
Handel: Theodora/Guildford Choral Society at Guildford Cathedral
Breathtaking duets absolutely made Guildford Choral
Society's performance of Handel's Theodora at the cathedral on
Saturday night. The soloists were soprano Lorna Anderson and countertenor
James Huw Jeffries in the roles of Christian martyrs Theodora and Didymus
and the duets were just magical both in the quality of Handel's writing
and in the extraordinary way their voices blended and complemented each
other.
Jane Garrett: The Surrey Advertiser
Handel: Theodora/Ryton Choral Society at Ryton Comprehensive School
...James Huw Jeffries understood why Didymus is a
great role - what is he to do about Theodora's moral stand? - and sang
with power and passion, throwing off the passage work with
bravura.
Mike Fry: Opera Magazine
Monteverdi: Vespers 1610/Fiori Musicali at the St Ceciliatide Festival
The group's director, Penelope Rapson, who is also
the festival director, chose two fine countertenors to sing the highest
solo parts. Both Nicholas Clapton and James Huw Jeffries easily reached
top Gs and their very different but highly appealing voice qualities -
Clapton's rich and fulsome, on the contralto-ish side, Jeffries' brighter,
like a true sopranisto - complement each other well.
Stephen Pettitt:
The Financial Times