Sir George Dyson (1883-1964)

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I like Dyson's music a lot. In fact, I have just acquired the 2-CD set of his concerti with Richard Hickox on Chandos. I now own all of Hickox's Dyson recordings.

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Thought I'd bump up this thread. Have been listening to the CD below a lot recently and really enjoy all three pieces, finding 'In Honour of the City' oddly moving. I am also warming more to Hickox's performance of the fine Symphony. I like the Parry and Stanford meet Sibelius quality of the work and am moved by the way in which the warmth and humanity of Dyson's conception keeps breaking through the rather academic post-Brahmsian surface, especially in the context of the looming Second World War - for me the Symphony seems to demonstrate an assertion of humane values just as they were under threat. Incidentally, wanting to see what CDs of Dyson's music are currently available on Amazon I typed 'Dyson' into the search bar whilst forgetting to add under 'classical' I subsequently viewed an excellent range of vacuum cleaners. 
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I agree with you, Jeffrey. Dyson was a very good composer and one that's worth spending more time with. I was just listening to his Violin Concerto (Mordkovitch/Hickox) the other night and was impressed with what I heard. Of course, it had been years since I heard the work, so it was a nice rediscovery for me. I, too, own that disc above so I'll have to refresh my memory of those pieces as well.

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I agree with you, Jeffrey. Dyson was a very good composer and one that's worth spending more time with. I was just listening to his Violin Concerto (Mordkovitch/Hickox) the other night and was impressed with what I heard. Of course, it had been years since I heard the work, so it was a nice rediscovery for me. I, too, own that disc above so I'll have to refresh my memory of those pieces as well.

Thanks John. The CD above is one I can listen to from beginning to end with great pleasure (like the new Naxos Moeran disc).

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Thanks John. The CD above is one I can listen to from beginning to end with great pleasure (like the new Naxos Moeran disc).

But the question is do you own this 2-CD set?

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But the question is do you own this 2-CD set?

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And the answer is no - but I do have both of the original single CD releases. I must listen to all those works again. The work I don't know at all is The Canterbury Pilgrims, his most famous work (or least unknown). Do you know that? If so what do you think of it John?

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And the answer is no - but I do have both of the original single CD releases. I must listen to all those works again. The work I don't know at all is The Canterbury Pilgrims, his most famous work (or least unknown). Do you know that? If so what do you think of it John?

Excellent, Jeffrey! Interestingly enough I have not heard The Canterbury Pilgrims either, but have been wanting to hear it for quite some time. Perhaps I need to just go ahead and buy the Hickox recording even though Pilgrims is coupled with works I have on another disc: At The Tabard Inn and In Honour of the City.

[cilgwyn]

I have the same problem with 'The Canterbury Pilgrims' as another reviewer (I forget who?). It's pleasant enough music,but just to d*** 'church-y'! I remember reading 'The Canterbury Tales',admittedly,quite some time ago!. It's so bawdy! Take 'The Millers Tale' for example, full of jokes about people farting in each others faces. In fact,allot of farting throughout the book and worse!!! Maybe,Dyson had the 'cleaned up' edition;but it's certainly not the Chaucer I know!
I'm not exactly an admirer of Carl Orff,but at least he captured the earthy,bawdiness in his most famous work (you know the one! ).

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Excellent, Jeffrey! Interestingly enough I have not heard The Canterbury Pilgrims either, but have been wanting to hear it for quite some time. Perhaps I need to just go ahead and buy the Hickox recording even though Pilgrims is coupled with works I have on another disc: At The Tabard Inn and In Honour of the City.

Yes John, that's exactly the same problem that I have. 

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I have the same problem with 'The Canterbury Pilgrims' as another reviewer (I forget who?). It's pleasant enough music,but just to d*** 'church-y'! I remember reading 'The Canterbury Tales',admittedly,quite some time ago!. It's so bawdy! Take 'The Millers Tale' for example, full of jokes about people farting in each others faces. In fact,allot of farting throughout the book and worse!!! Maybe,Dyson had the 'cleaned up' edition;but it's certainly not the Chaucer I know!
I'm not exactly an admirer of Carl Orff,but at least he captured the earthy,bawdiness in his most famous work (you know the one! ).

Interesting! Many thanks for this.

[cilgwyn]

I was merely making a point! Chaucer is bawdy,that's all. Being used to literature of a much later period I remember being more than a little surprised by the vulgarity of some of the content.Not that,being a late 70's teenager,I was exactly shocked! And let's face it,the ancients got there first!
I remember when I was in school,being given a copy of the second century novel 'The Golden Ass' by Apuleis. Apparently,my sister didn't like it! As a schoolboy I remember thinking this will be one big yawn. Well,I soon found out why she didn't like it! I'd never read such a pile of graphic sex,violence,bawdy humour and necromancy in my young life. I couldn't put it down!!
Of course,it was the Victorians that cleaned things up. A bit like what the Hays code did to movies in the mid 30's,but in literary terms. I just wonder what they'd think of the stuff you get in the movies now?!!

Anyway,not wishing to stray too far from the main topic;taken on it's own terms I don't really see that it really matters that much. Also,Dyson's confines his work to the 'Prologue'; which is probably a good thing considering the nature of some of the subsequent material!!

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I was merely making a point! Chaucer is bawdy,that's all. Being used to literature of a much later period I remember being more than a little surprised by the vulgarity of some of the content.Not that,being a late 70's teenager,I was exactly shocked! And let's face it,the ancients got there first!
I remember when I was in school,being given a copy of the second century novel 'The Golden Ass' by Apuleis. Apparently,my sister didn't like it! As a schoolboy I remember thinking this will be one big yawn. Well,I soon found out why she didn't like it! I'd never read such a pile of graphic sex,violence,bawdy humour and necromancy in my young life. I couldn't put it down!!
Of course,it was the Victorians that cleaned things up. A bit like what the Hays code did to movies in the mid 30's,but in literary terms. I just wonder what they'd think of the stuff you get in the movies now?!!

Anyway,not wishing to stray too far from the main topic;taken on it's own terms I don't really see that it really matters that much. Also,Dyson's confines his work to the 'Prologue'; which is probably a good thing considering the nature of some of the subsequent material!!

As I had to study the Knight's Tale for A level English at school I have been effectively inoculated from discovering any more Chaucer - my loss as and I would like to read more ( perhaps the Dyson work would be a good introduction). I remember, as a school boy having trouble working out which extract was Chaucer and which one was Milton, let alone answering any questions on them. 

[cilgwyn]

What a lovely symphony. Full of lush,sumptuous sounds. Those glorious strings!! It may be my imagination,but I get a brief snatch of Hollywood from them,at one or two points. Very filmic. I also think it's a very good  symphony. There are no deep messages here,but You feel like you're definitely going somewhere. I don't feel any note spinning or meandering. Oh,and you feel good at the end of it. Well,I do! I've got this earlier release,which I chose purposely,because I just wanted the symphony and I love that 'Chandos sound'! I particularly love the way this symphony begins. The opening bars are glorious. They really grab your attention and pull you in. Nice painting too.

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What a lovely symphony. Full of lush,sumptuous sounds. Those glorious strings!! It may be my imagination,but I get a brief snatch of Hollywood from them,at one or two points. Very filmic. I also think it's a very good  symphony. There are no deep messages here,but You feel like you're definitely going somewhere. I don't feel any note spinning or meandering. Oh,and you feel good at the end of it. Well,I do! I've got this earlier release,which I chose purposely,because I just wanted the symphony and I love that 'Chandos sound'! I particularly love the way this symphony begins. The opening bars are glorious. They really grab your attention and pull you in. Nice painting too.

It has a great cover image too! 
I find this symphony rather moving - an assertion perhaps of humane values as the war clouds loomed.

[Maestro267]

Via Twitter, conductor David Hill the other day revealed that there is to be a recording of Dyson choral/orchestral works featuring the Bach Choir and the Bournemouth SO released in November. St. Paul's Voyage to Melita and an early Choral Symphony apparently only rediscovered in 2014.

http://www.dysontrust.org.uk/news.html

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I really enjoyed his Violin Concerto this afternoon. I thought it was beautiful......and I'd put it on one side!

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This choral/orchestral work has one of the most moving endings I know:

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[cilgwyn]

I remember buying the cd set of his Canterbury Pilgrims back in the nineties,I think?!! Initial enthusiasm waned and it got sold to the lady who runs the secondhand record stall in the market!! A couple of months ago I made a cd-r set of the off air recording at the Art Music Forum,which I'd had on my pc for some time. I made a cd-r set a couple of weeks ago and for the first time I really did enjoy it. Not that I hated it before;but the absence of Robert Tear,not one of my favourite singers,to be honest was a definite plus!! Now,Tearless,I can at last hear Dyson's Canterbury Pilgrims for the lovely work it,undoubtedly,is!!

The Canterbury Pilgrims (1930-31)
Susan Gritton, sop; Alan Oke, ten; Simon Bailey, bass-bar/ Three Choirs Festival Chorus/ Philharmonia O/ Martyn Brabbins (25/7/2012, br. 9/9/2012)

Available as a download at the Art Music Forum. You have to register as a member first,though;and preferably contribute some posts,as well!!

[Maestro267]

Information on the new Dyson disc coming in November on Naxos. It's generously filled, the Choral Symphony lasting 44 minutes and St. Paul's Voyage to Melita lasting 31 minutes. Looking forward to it, especially having recently gotten into the wonderful work The Canterbury Pilgrims.

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Information on the new Dyson disc coming in November on Naxos. It's generously filled, the Choral Symphony lasting 44 minutes and St. Paul's Voyage to Melita lasting 31 minutes. Looking forward to it, especially having recently gotten into the wonderful work The Canterbury Pilgrims.

Interesting news - thank you. I note it's a very early work. The St Paul work is good I have it on another CD.