AN Essex record company picked up a prize at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the weekend. Chandos Records, based in Colchester, won the award in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category with its record “Spotless Rose: Hymns to the Virgin Mary”, performed by the Phoenix Chorale and conducted by Charles Bruffy.

AN Essex record company picked up a prize at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the weekend.

Chandos Records, based in Colchester, won the award in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category with its record “Spotless Rose: Hymns to the Virgin Mary”, performed by the Phoenix Chorale and conducted by Charles Bruffy.

Sunday's Grammy win was the fourth for Chandos, and the second involving the Phoenix Chorale who teamed up with Kansas City Chorale to take home the award for Best Engineered Classical Album last year.

The Spotless Rose CD received great acclaim within the music industry when it was released last year, with Andrew Achenbach writing in Gramophone magazine saying “choral singing just doesn't get much better than this”.

Ralph Couzens, managing director of Chandos Records, said: “Chandos has always strived for technical as well as artistic excellence. This award is a super testimony to that endeavour and it is wonderful that the Phoenix Chorale's Spotless Rose CD has been honoured in this way.”