The British Composers Thread

[Roasted Swan]

I've not been collecting the Bennett series and was amazed to see "Volume 5"! It seems as though Chandos have given John Wilson pretty much a free hand to record what he wants, which is basically what they did with Richard Hickox. Wilson made three wonderful discs of Edward German's orchestral music for Dutton and I hope that he will explore more 19th and early 20th century British repertoire because my wishlist is as long as the proverbial piece of string and my shelves groan with unrecorded scores by Joseph Holbrooke, George Macfarren, Cyril Scott, Arthur Goring Thomas, Frederic Cowen, Henry Gadsby, Alexander Mackenzie, Ebenezer Prout, Frederic Clay, Thomas Wingham, Henry Hugo Pierson (somebody MUST surely record his incidental music to Part II of Goethe's "Faust" and his oratorio "Jerusalem"), Granville Bantock and all the other usual suspects.

When will we get a first-rate recording of Coleridge-Taylor's A Tale of Old Japan? His sacred cantata The Atonement is due to be revived at this year's Three Choirs Festival and if the BBC can be bothered to broadcast it I shall definitely make an off-air recording available here and on several other forums...

to the bolded - apparently Wilson with the excellent cellist here Aasgaard are due to release a Walton Cello Concerto (presumably with the Sinfonia of London) on Chandos later this year.  Slightly baffling decision given that Chandos already have 3 good to excellent versions in their catalogue; Gibson/Kirshbaum, Thomson/Wallfisch and most recently Gardiner/Watkins - the latter in fine SACD sound to boot - so not even that would make the next release 'special'.  Surely there is other rarer repertoire that would benefit from their attention.....?

[relm1]

I thought the new Gipps album on chandos was fabulous!  The music is well crafted with beautiful melodies, but I was surprised at how old fashioned it was considering she lived quite recently.  Regardless of when it was written, very fine music!

[Christo]

old fashioned

Ruth Gipps isn't. She uses tonality, but every second reveals from which time the piece is: totally contemporary, stylistically uncomparable to any pre-WW II composer. And ... she's just terrific! 

[Roasted Swan]

I've just bought some things that make me foolishly happy!  Someone online has been selling the old orchestral sets (parts and scores) that belonged to the "Hastings Municipal Orchestra" (Hastings as in 1066 Battle and all that on England's South Coast).  Clearly an old established orchestra - founded back in the 1930's I think.  So lots of sets of very 'standard' repertoire - Beethoven/Brahms/Mozart etc - in old but perfectly good/usuable editions which I did not buy. 

But the real interest for me was quite a bit of unusual/hard to get today British music.  Perhaps most unexpected/rare was a full set of parts and conducting score of the Bax "Romantic Overture" closely followed by a beautiful complete set of Bridge's The Sea in the original 1920 Carnegie Edition covers.  Quite a bit of string orchestra music too which to be honest I have more chance of getting played.  So the RVW Charterhouse Suite is pretty rare and even more so an arrangement by Roy Douglas for strings of the Prelude to the 49th Parallel.  Bantock's Bach arrangement of "Sleepers Awake" and a really rare set of 3 Eugene Ormandy arrangements of Bach Chorale Preludes.  Topped off with some Eric Coates sets and Percy Grainger's "Youthful Rapture".

[DaveF]

Someone online has been selling the old orchestral sets (parts and scores) that belonged to the "Hastings Municipal Orchestra"

Could you tell us where online?  I had a quick look on eBay and found a record ("Invitation to the Waltz") by said orchestra, but no sets.  Thanks.

[Roasted Swan]

Could you tell us where online?  I had a quick look on eBay and found a record ("Invitation to the Waltz") by said orchestra, but no sets.  Thanks.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167350460853?itmmeta=01JNHKDKKT8KY9FSM4SGP7S3H9&hash=item26f6dd61b5:g:e1cAAOSwVJFnxMh~

Look at this item on ebay BUT then look at the accompanying images of the library items being offered.  The seller has NOT listed every item.  You need to contact the seller via ebay, listing the items you are interested in and make him a total offer for the sets you list.  Its a bit of a clunky process but it worked for me - it averaged out at under £10 per complete set - the music is old but generally in good condition.

[DaveF]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167350460853?itmmeta=01JNHKDKKT8KY9FSM4SGP7S3H9&hash=item26f6dd61b5:g:e1cAAOSwVJFnxMh~

Thank you - there was some great stuff there.  I say "was" because there is now a "Sold" banner across the image, so I guess someone has swooped and carried the whole library off.

[Roasted Swan]

Thank you - there was some great stuff there.  I say "was" because there is now a "Sold" banner across the image, so I guess someone has swooped and carried the whole library off.

My strong guess is just that set is now sold.  Drop the seller a message - he was quick and helpful replying - to ask is there an updated list of items still available....... (I'd be very surprised if someone had bought the whole library - it was so diverse.....)

[Roy Bland]

[Papy Oli]

Rummaging around for some Ebooks in public domain, I came across two titles that may be of interest here, available as EPUB or PDF format.

Ralph Vaughan Williams - "National Music"

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20120837

Constant Lambert - "Music Ho! A Study of Music in Decline"

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20090115

[vandermolen]

Rummaging around for some Ebooks in public domain, I came across two titles that may be of interest here, available as EPUB or PDF format.

Ralph Vaughan Williams - "National Music"

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20120837

Constant Lambert - "Music Ho! A Study of Music in Decline"

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20090115

The second Mrs Vaughan Williams sent me a signed copy of 'National Music and Other Essays' in response to my fan mail in 1972 (I was 17 and had just discovered VW's music).

[Irons]

Rummaging around for some Ebooks in public domain, I came across two titles that may be of interest here, available as EPUB or PDF format.

Ralph Vaughan Williams - "National Music"

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20120837

Constant Lambert - "Music Ho! A Study of Music in Decline"

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20090115

I have a battered Second Edition copy of Music Ho! purchased for 80p at a second-hand bookshop in the Hammersmith Road about 20 years ago. Lambert's views on music are far from conventional but most thought provoking. For Lambert, Debussy "the liberating force" in music.

[Irons]

I thought the new Gipps album on chandos was fabulous!  The music is well crafted with beautiful melodies, but I was surprised at how old fashioned it was considering she lived quite recently.  Regardless of when it was written, very fine music!

I am living with Symphony No.3 and loving it! I listen to the theme and variations second movement in open-mouth astonishment, greatness in simplicity. I believe Gipps to be as musically gifted as any English composer. However, a female composer in less enlightened times a big disadvantage.  

[calyptorhynchus]

Don't know why I hadn't listened to this disc before



(perhaps because I'm not such a great fan of piano music). However all the pieces on it are excellent, and very well played.