Missouri Classical Music News and Notes

British praise for an American choir is about as rare as German plaudits for Bud Light or French kudos for Kansas quiche.

The choir that international critics have been fawning over lately is not from New York or San Francisco; it’s the combined forces of the Kansas City Chorale and the Phoenix Bach Choir.

The two choirs and conductor Charles Bruffy, artistic director of both, have released three discs on the high-end British label Chandos that have achieved off-the-scale attention.

On Thursday the Grammy committee took note, nominating two of the discs for Grammy Awards in five categories, including best classical album and best choral performance. It is believed to be the first such nominations for a local classical group.