Havergal Brian.

[Hattoff]

I'm another longtime Brian fan and it's good to see so much interest in him. I caught two little hidden gems on last weeks broadcast. The first was "Shall I compare thee to a summers day" which I once had on a reel to reel tape and have not heard for years. The second was "Sweet Solitude". I believe there was a third but I missed it.

[lukeottevanger]

I'm another longtime Brian fan and it's good to see so much interest in him. I caught two little hidden gems on last weeks broadcast. The first was "Shall I compare thee to a summers day" which I once had on a reel to reel tape and have not heard for years. The second was "Sweet Solitude". I believe there was a third but I missed it.

Do you happen to remember which day([s) these two were broadcast? I missed them, but I managed to record another (O happiness celestial fair), which I assume is the third one you are referring to. Recording quality isn't all it could be, though, and I'd urge anyone who can do a better job to catch last week's broadcasts whilst they are still available.

Thanks

[Hattoff]

Brian "sweet solitude"  04/03/08 just before 17:00 hrs
Brian "shall I compare thee to a summer's day" 03/03/08 also just before 17:00 hrs
If you have trouble with the sound quality get back to me.

[lukeottevanger]

Thank you! The earlier one is no longer available  (if anyone has it..... ) but I'm scanning through for the other one right now

[Hattoff]

Okay,  I'll get back to you.
Steve

[Dundonnell]

Great Day indeed!! 1975 was the year in which Lyrita issued Symphonies Nos. 6 and 16 on vinyl: one of my most treasured albums over the last 33 years.

And now today I am at last able to listen to these two stupendous symphonies on CD, to marvel at the genius of this great composer and to be so grateful that Myer Fredman could inspire the London Philharmonic Orchestra of its day to such truly splendid performances!

If you have this CD on order then you are in for a treat! (The Arnold Cooke Symphony No.3 is a good work too-Hindemithian, busy, well-constructed but sadly, from its point of view, does rather suffer by comparison. Maybe Lyrita should have put it first on the CD? Best perhaps not to listen to the Cooke immediately after the Brian?)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Great Day indeed!! 1975 was the year in which Lyrita issued Symphonies Nos. 6 and 16 on vinyl: one of my most treasured albums over the last 33 years.

And now today I am at last able to listen to these two stupendous symphonies on CD, to marvel at the genius of this great composer and to be so grateful that Myer Fredman could inspire the London Philharmonic Orchestra of its day to such truly splendid performances!

If you have this CD on order then you are in for a treat! (The Arnold Cooke Symphony No.3 is a good work too-Hindemithian, busy, well-constructed but sadly, from its point of view, does rather suffer by comparison. Maybe Lyrita should have put it first on the CD? Best perhaps not to listen to the Cooke immediately after the Brian?)

Ah... I know what you express so eloquently.

[lukeottevanger]

I've spent the last few days re-immersing myself in HB (and in the three MacDonald volumes). My primary emotion - I'm am staggered all over again by this music and its creator. He was, in a genuine sense, a Hero (capital H), wasn't he? Sustained dignity, passion, humour, imagination, courage, conviction, energy, humility.

[to HB skeptics - I apologise for the gushiness here! HB admirer will know what I mean, I hope]

[Sergeant Rock]

If you have this CD on order then you are in for a treat!

I do have it ordered and I'm a bit annoyed I've not received a message saying it's on its way to me.

Sarge

Edit: They must've heard me grumbling    I just checked my email and there was a message from MDT: HB is in the mail 

[Sergeant Rock]

I've spent the last few days re-immersing myself in HB (and in the three MacDonald volumes). My primary emotion - I'm am staggered all over again by this music and its creator. He was, in a genuine sense, a Hero (capital H), wasn't he? Sustained dignity, passion, humour, imagination, courage, conviction, energy, humility.

[to HB skeptics - I apologise for the gushiness here! HB admirer will know what I mean, I hope]

Preach on, brother Luke!

[lukeottevanger]

Preach on, brother Luke!

0:) I take my reading from MacDonald III, chapter 33  0:)

what impresses one most strongly in his symphonies is the raw, unquenchable will to survive, to fight, to go on making music at all costs against external and internal disasters - and still to have his private jokes against the slow wits under the wise wigs. He is the 'Awkward Cuss' who will do no man's bidding but his own, cunning enough to survive into the mellowed old age of a 'Geriatric Prodigy': the Working Man as Great Composer, crafty through and through

[BachQ]

I've spent the last few days re-immersing myself in HB (and in the three MacDonald volumes). My primary emotion - I'm am staggered all over again by this music and its creator. He was, in a genuine sense, a Hero (capital H), wasn't he? Sustained dignity, passion, humour, imagination, courage, conviction, energy, humility.

[to HB skeptics - I apologise for the gushiness here! HB admirer will know what I mean, I hope]

We haven't witnessed a gush-a-thon of this magnitude since 71dB's defunct Elgar thread ........ 

[lukeottevanger]

We haven't witnessed a gush-a-thon of this magnitude since 71dB's defunct Elgar thread ........ 

Well, exactly, I thought it about time    Mendelssohn (just for example  0:) ) isn't really a glamorous enough figure to gush about, it seems to me, but Brian? Now there's a real composer! 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Havergal Brian has been the composer who sustained me during the most difficult years of my life. Long may his music live.

A review by Rob Barnett:

http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2008/Mar08/Brian_Cooke_SRCD295.htm

[Dundonnell]

Havergal Brian has been the composer who sustained me during the most difficult years of my life. Long may his music live.

A review by Rob Barnett:

http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2008/Mar08/Brian_Cooke_SRCD295.htm

Rob Barnett makes the point that there are no connections between Brian and Cooke. While I understand what he means, Brian was actually an admirer of Arnold Cooke's music. In 1936 Brian hailed the 30 year old Cooke as one of the most promising young British composers and praised his ability "to think and breathe contrapuntally"(Musical Opinion). It is therefore quite a nice juxtaposition of the two composers on the new CD.

Cooke is certainly a most worthy and craftsmanlike composer whose music merits rediscovery. He is not, however, a composer of the same stature as HB.

[vandermolen]

Rob Barnett makes the point that there are no connections between Brian and Cooke. While I understand what he means, Brian was actually an admirer of Arnold Cooke's music. In 1936 Brian hailed the 30 year old Cooke as one of the most promising young British composers and praised his ability "to think and breathe contrapuntally"(Musical Opinion). It is therefore quite a nice juxtaposition of the two composers on the new CD.

Cooke is certainly a most worthy and craftsmanlike composer whose music merits rediscovery. He is not, however, a composer of the same stature as HB.

Very interesting. Why don't you let Rob Barnett know this? He'll probably add it on to his Music Web review.

[not edward]

Well, here goes for my first experience of the Gothic. If I don't get interrupted, I'll be back for comments in a couple of hours.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well, here goes for my first experience of the Gothic. If I don't get interrupted, I'll be back for comments in a couple of hours.

Travel safely! 

[Dundonnell]

Very interesting. Why don't you let Rob Barnett know this? He'll probably add it on to his Music Web review.

Have done and he will!

Thanks, for that Jeffrey.

[vandermolen]

Have done and he will!

Thanks, for that Jeffrey.

It's there already!