Havergal Brian.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

DA: At the time of this interview it was 6.
Interviewer: It's actually more than 30
DA: Last time I looked it was 25
Interviewer: Why did you say 6 then?
DA: I misspoke

Good, clean fun on an overcast Sunday.

[cilgwyn]

Pity about that. Thought the Performance had a great atmosphere to it but maybe I'm prejudiced as it was the first time I heard that fine score.

I would be very interested to hear your reaction to the Hull Youth SO when you are finally reunited with it,after all these years,courtesy of John. I rather like the artwork with the waves crashing and the salt and spray flying everywhere and the name of the symphony splashed across in bold red blooded lettering. It's no masterpiece,but it works for me. I'd have had that propped up in front of me as the Hull Youth SO negotiated Bantock'so virtuoso writing for brass!

To continue the in your face salt and spray theme. Here's one I bought allot earlier! It's so full of sea air and brine,you half expect a band of marauding pirates........and oh dear,I just ordered one from a classified ad in Gramophone. Aharr! Shiver me timbers!  If the musicians union foind ewt,they'll make me walk the plank!!

[vandermolen]

I can see your point. Fun and educational for them to play and probably for family members and maybe even a fun  night out for the local community;string section notwithstanding & possibly part of the fun?!!! ) but to play over and over again in the homes of strangers?!! An enterprising initiative on the part of those behind it,though. Using a youth orchestra to disseminate off the beaten track scores,that would otherwise remain unrecorded;and presumably at a relatively low cost,in contrast to using a professional orchestra. It must have seemed like a much better idea on paper and at discussion level!! Still,it wasn't a complete waste of time. I enjoyed Festal Dance and In Memoriam,even if it made me wonder whether the younger Brian really did compose music for his string section which was always slightly out of tune,and,if so,why?!! Johan enjoyed the Fantastic Variations amongst other early scores,which he wouldn't have been able to hear otherwise;and vandermolen enjoyed their recording of the Hebridean Symphony. A thought occurs to me here. At this point in time,when this Lp came out,had vandermolen heard any other recordings of this work?  And if I was one of those Hull musicians I would have been thrilled that my efforts were being released on an Lp!!! So,I think it was a worthwhile project in some ways! Unfortunately,the problems you point to,inevitably,leading to it's untimely demise!
The photo chosen for the sleeve of the Edward German Symphony is rather nice,I might add!

That Hull/Hebriddean cover image is definitely best of all and no I hadn't heard any other version when I listed to the LP borrowed from the brilliant record library at High Street Kensington, London.

[cilgwyn]

To the worst Brian sleeve artwork ever. It is a pirate job,I know;but c'mon,where's the snowman?!!

[John Whitmore]

I would be very interested to hear your reaction to the Hull Youth SO when you are finally reunited with it,after all these years,courtesy of John. I rather like the artwork with the waves crashing and the salt and spray flying everywhere and the name of the symphony splashed across in bold red blooded lettering. It's no masterpiece,but it works for me. I'd have had that propped up in front of me as the Hull Youth SO negotiated Bantock'so virtuoso writing for brass!

To continue the in your face salt and spray theme. Here's one I bought allot earlier! It's so full of sea air and brine,you half expect a band of marauding pirates........and oh dear,I just ordered one from a classified ad in Gramophone. Aharr! Shiver me timbers!  If the musicians union foind ewt,they'll make me walk the plank!!

1) The artwork on the Bantock is great. Shame about the contents. I really dislike the piece.
2) This Aries LP is the Pope version. Available from Klassic Haus and it sounds sensationally good

[Karl Henning]

I agree but it was an atmosphere produced by a distant orchestra recorded in a swimming pool.

You give me an idea . . . .

[John Whitmore]

To the worst Brian sleeve artwork ever. It is a pirate job,I know;but c'mon,where's the snowman?!!

He's walking in the sky.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

To the worst Brian sleeve artwork ever. It is a pirate job,I know;but c'mon,where's the snowman?!!

Poor Brian. He didn't deserve this.

[kishnevi]

Worse than this?


And some of the other Naxos covers are a bit on the "what the Hades is going on here" side....

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Worse than this?


And some of the other Naxos covers are a bit on the "what the Hades is going on here" side....

Yes, worse than that, as far as I'm concerned. The abstraction isn't ludicrous, you only wonder at the appropriateness...

[kishnevi]

Yes, worse than that, as far as I'm concerned. The abstraction isn't ludicrous, you only wonder at the appropriateness...

I'm inclined to dislike covers that give me nightmares.  Snow covered houses don't do that.  Weird eye in the sky abstracts can.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I'm inclined to dislike covers that give me nightmares.  Snow covered houses don't do that.  Weird eye in the sky abstracts can.

I'll never see that cover again without your very special view of it.

[kishnevi]

I'll never see that cover again without your very special view of it.

It's a pleasure to be of assistance, sir.

[cilgwyn]

I think I agree with Jeffrey,in a way. I think between the two,I do prefer the photo on the Aries Lp of No3. And to be fair...it is quite a nice photo. It's just trying to work out the connection between that house,the boy the snow and the music inside. The Ninth doesn't exactly evoke holiday type snow scenes,let alone the twelfth,with it's connections with Agamemnon!!! It's as if they just grabbed hold of the first photo they could lay their hands on. I do quite like the way the lettering is placed on the snow drift,though! Cheesy,but cute!  The Naxos,on the other hand,looks a bit like an egg yolk gone wrong....and is that a knife? No sausage and bacon,though?!! Alternatively,it could be a robots face. That's his mouth at the bottom? It is an abstract work of art,I believe? I haven't got the cd,anymore. Either way,it just doesn't fit in with the music inside. That abstract artwork,or designs can,is proven by the classic Lyrita design for the Lyrita Lp pf symphonies 6 & 16. I actually used to think of that design while I was listening to the music. Somehow the shapes seemed like a perfect visual  reflection of the way Brian's music built up in blocks and walls of sound,bit by bit. Like an aural mosaic of sound! I can't resist including the image here again. It's even good enough to put on your wall. With out the lettering,perhaps,and few more of those coloured shapes along the top. An abstract work of art!
One thing that has intrigued me about those Aries releases,and the use of the name Colin Wilson as the name of the conductor. Of course,Colin Wilson was the author of The Outsider. Was this chosen on purpose? I presume so?! It is just far too much of a coincidence for it be otherwise. Brian was,after all,an outsider.



This one is very nice,though,indeed. This must be Aries Records 'Art' department's best sleeve! Who took this photo? Was it the same photographer who took your Avatar,Johan?



PS: I just saw Jeffrey's reply. Just watch that egg yolk eye (on the Naxos). If you leave it on the table it could follow you around?!!

[kishnevi]

Fortunately, I always have my eggs scrambled.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I like that photo of Brian, too, cilgwyn. Don't know who the photographer was... As for 'Colin Wilson', if I'm not mistaken he actually was a member of the HBS once!

[cilgwyn]

Fortunately, I always have my eggs scrambled.

[John Whitmore]

Yes, worse than that, as far as I'm concerned. The abstraction isn't ludicrous, you only wonder at the appropriateness...

That red blob reminds me of Hal in 2001. Spooky.

[cilgwyn]

I just downloaded the Klassik Haus transfer of the third symphony. It seems that my cd-r of the third  I had was from Dundonnell's old reel to reel off air recording. I'm pretty sure I did have the Klassik Haus recording;but after I got this pc,a clean up led to the loss of the original file! Oh well;as Windsor Davies' Seargent Major used to say in It ain't half hot mum,"Oh dear,how sad,never mind!" I'm very grateful to Dundonnell for giving me the first opportunity to hear the Pope performance for many years (I'll keep his as a souvenir!) but this should be quite an upgrade!! Only £5.58 via Paypal,and I get the 'artwork' and booklet notes....I hope! I haven't unzipped it yet. I must put cd-r's on my shopping list,now!!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I can hear Windsor Davies now...


Good luck with your purchase!