The British Composers Thread

[vandermolen]

Some interesting pieces, just downloaded it from Chandos. Now listening to Cowen's Reverie as a taster.

Foulds's 'April' has always been a favourite of mine.

[vandermolen]

Reposted from the "pieces that have blown you away recently" thread:

Just made a most wonderful discovery - the tone poem Aurora by William Lloyd Webber (yes, the father of the much more famous Andrew and Julian). This is sensuous, incandescent music depicting the Roman goddess of the dawn. The main theme that appears a minute or so into the piece is a glorious gift of a melody that has staying power. This is a relatively brief but stunning piece which makes me regret that he mostly wrote small-scale works.

https://youtu.be/S-DRoD4Jh2A

It's featured on this Chandos disc:

[asin]B000007MY2[/asin]

Interesting Kyle. The opening reminded me of Vaughan Williams.

[vandermolen]

Intrigued by this, Jeffrey. Yet another composer to win a Cobbett prize for a "Phantasy". Walter Cobbett does not receive the acclaim due to him for his promotion and support of British chamber music.

Fascinating to read of Howell's connection with Elgar on her Wiki page.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Howell_(composer)

Interesting about her tending Elgar's grave and you are right about Cobbett Lol.
Here is the CD I have featuring Lamia:

And here's the music:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=McSr9sq2qoU

[Irons]

Interesting about her tending Elgar's grave and you are right about Cobbett Lol.
Here is the CD I have featuring Lamia:

And here's the music:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=McSr9sq2qoU

Many thanks for link, Jeffrey. A lovely piece which due to the rhapsodic nature reminded me of Bax (and Ravel) - which may be due to me listening to a lot of Bax at the moment - although Lamia was composed before any of the Bax symphonies.

[vandermolen]

Many thanks for link, Jeffrey. A lovely piece which due to the rhapsodic nature reminded me of Bax (and Ravel) - which may be due to me listening to a lot of Bax at the moment - although Lamia was composed before any of the Bax symphonies.

My pleasure Lol. Glad you liked it. I agree about the Bax/Ravel comparison. I shall look forward to the Chandos recording and hearing the work live at thr Proms.

[Oates]

Interesting new release. I'm hearing 'Lamia' by Dorothy Howell at the Proms in a couple of week's time:

Yes, this looks interesting, though I'd have preferred a few more CD premiers on there myself. Goossens' By The Tarn is a favourite of mine in a very pastoral vein (for him), like a close relation to Moeran's Lonely Water.

[Biffo]

Working my way through the Chandos British Tone Poems disc (Vol 2). So far Merok by Eric Fogg has been the pick of the bunch, Lamia is yet to come.

[vandermolen]

I also like 'By the Tarn' and 'Merok' which I have on a Dutton CD with the rather fine Symphony 2 by Erik Chisholm.

[SymphonicAddict]

What other composers do you consider worth exploration who don't have a thread of their own?

[Irons]

What other composers do you consider worth exploration who don't have a thread of their own?

Robert Still does have a thread of his own which although had an excellent and informative introduction seems to have generated next to no interest. I particularly enjoy the 3rd Symphony.

 

[Roasted Swan]

+1 for Robert Still

But the area that I'm not sure that has been covered much here (perhaps it has but before I joined) - there are so many fine British composers of (I hate the term!) "Light" music.  John Foulds is a case in point of someone who writes effectively both in the "light" and "serious" genres but to him I would add;

Frederic Curzon
Arthur Wood (seriously under-rated)
Harry Farjeon (all but forgotten)
Alec Rowley (more than just a composer of teaching music)
Haydn Wood (not forgotten but not as appreciated as he deserves)
Albert Ketelbey (a great CD from the Philharmonia deserves to be heard!)
Frederic Rosse (famous in his time - forgotten now)
Montague Phillips (a couple of Dutton CD's scratch the surface)
Norman O'Neill (one of the Frankfurt group whose music is now all but forgotten)
Fred Hartley (stunning arranger but some nice original compositions too)

and of course that takes no account of the more famous ones such as Coates/Binge/German etc who had discs in the valuable but far from ideal Marco Polo series of "British Light Music Classics" back in the '90's

[vandermolen]

+2 for Still.

I'd add Patrick Hadley (1899-1973). I consider 'The Trees so High', a symphony with vocal last movement, to be an absolute masterpiece, very poignant and moving. There is an intimacy about it which is quite different, for example, from Vaughan Williams's music. The Chandos twofer with Sainton is one of my favourite CDs. Sainton does have his own thread although anyone who likes Bax, for example, should hear 'Nadir' and 'The Island'.

Armstrong Gibbs and Erik Chisholm also come to mind.

[Irons]

+2 for Still.

I'd add Patrick Hadley (1899-1973). I consider 'The Trees so High', a symphony with vocal last movement, to be an absolute masterpiece, very poignant and moving. There is an intimacy about it which is quite different, for example, from Vaughan Williams's music. The Chandos twofer with Sainton is one of my favourite CDs. Sainton does have his own thread although anyone who,likes Bax, for example, should hear 'Nadir' and 'The Island'.

Armstrong Gibbs and Erik Chisholm also come to mind.

Totally agree. "The Trees so High" is my discovery of the year. The work is blessed by two fine recordings by Chandos and Lyrita. Sainton, perhaps more obscure is excellent too.

[Maestro267]

Thank you for the reminder of these discs. I have Hadley's The Hills as part of an EMI 5-fer (mainly covering Delius and Howells).

[vandermolen]

Thank you for the reminder of these discs. I have Hadley's The Hills as part of an EMI 5-fer (mainly covering Delius and Howells).

You have to hear 'The Trees so High'. It is in a class of its own IMO. Lol (Irons) agrees.

[kyjo]

Armstrong Gibbs and Erik Chisholm also come to mind.

+1 for Armstrong Gibbs. His Symphony no. 3 Westmorland is supremely moving and one of my favorite British symphonies. Like VW's 5th Symphony, it possesses an uplifting spiritual radiance despite (or perhaps because of) being written during WWII.

[SymphonicAddict]

Quite good suggestions, thank you all. I see some I don't know at all.

[vandermolen]

+1 for Armstrong Gibbs. His Symphony no. 3 Westmorland is supremely moving and one of my favorite British symphonies. Like VW's 5th Symphony, it possesses an uplifting spiritual radiance despite (or perhaps because of) being written during WWII.

Yes, I agree. The poignancy is perhaps a consequence of Armstrong Gibbs losing his son in the war. The symphony is beautiful - I agree.

[vandermolen]

Quite good suggestions, thank you all. I see some I don't know at all.

I expect that you'd enjoy the Armstrong Gibbs 'Westmorland' Symphony, as Kyle suggest  Cesar and also Sainton's 'Nadir'. Anyone who responds to Vaughan Williams should respond to Patrick Hadley's 'The Trees so High'.

[Roy Bland]

+1 for Armstrong Gibbs. His Symphony no. 3 Westmorland is supremely moving and one of my favorite British symphonies. Like VW's 5th Symphony, it possesses an uplifting spiritual radiance despite (or perhaps because of) being written during WWII.

Also his Symphony n 2. on Dutton IMHO is a great piece clearly inspired at RVW First