Benjamin augurs well to become the most important British composer of his generation. An "Antara" is a Peruvian panpipe. Benjamin's 1987 work synthesizes its sound via computer and adds trombones, flutes, percussion and strings for a 20-minute essay that dazzles as much for its textures (from lush strings to the wham of an orchestral anvil) as it does for its alert rhythmic scheme.

San Francisco Examiner, 29 September 1989