British Music

[britishcomposer]

I am sorry to say I made a mistake when I uploaded Ronald Stevenson's 'In praise of Ben Dorain' in October last year. My recording of the piece was split into three files. When I processed it into Audacity to join them I messed things up. This resulted in posting just the last third of the piece. I am currently uploading the complete work and have removed the older link. Please excuse! 

[Dundonnell]

This was one of those works which I downloaded but had not got around to actually listening to. Now I see that the file with the actual music was only 12 minutes long-so this now makes sense

Thanks for re-loading

[albion]

I am sorry to say I made a mistake when I uploaded Ronald Stevenson's 'In praise of Ben Dorain' in October last year. [...] Please excuse! 

No worries - thanks for identifying the problem. I've unzipped your new file and re-uploaded the complete work (numbered 02 in the zip, 37 minutes) to replace the original.

Members wishing to listen to the composer in discussion can access other, related files through britishcomposer's link on the downloads board.

[Dundonnell]

Apropos of nothing in particular

I have just been compiling a list (surprise surprise ) of orchestral and choral compositions by Daniel Jones.

The only works that are missing from our BM collection on here would appear to be:

1938:      Symphonic Prologue
1939:      Five Pieces for Orchestra
1947:      The Flute Player for orchestra
1962:      Oratorio "St.Peter" (complete)
1982:      Oboe Concerto
1992:      Sinfonietta No.2
plus a choral piece "The Witnesses" for which I cannot find a composition date.

Mind you, this list may be incomplete because a number of works by Jones don't appear in other lists of his compositions: eg the 1956 Suite "Dobra Niva", the 1977 Choral Suite "Hear the Voice of the Ancient Bard", the 1978 Suite "Salute to Dylan Thomas" or the 1987 Cantata "Come my way, my truth, my life".
Each of these is in our catalogue here but try finding out much if anything about them

[albion]

From Latvian -

William Wordsworth (1908-1988): Sinfonia in A minor, Op. 6 (1939); Theme and Variations, Op. 19 (1941); Symphonic Study, Op.53 (1952); A Highland Overture, Op. 76 (1964); Symposium, for violin, strings and percussion, Op. 94 (1972)

Many thanks, Maris.

[albion]

Apropos of nothing in particular

I have just been compiling a list (surprise surprise ) of orchestral and choral compositions by Daniel Jones.

The only works that are missing from our BM collection on here would appear to be:

1938:      Symphonic Prologue
1939:      Five Pieces for Orchestra
1947:      The Flute Player for orchestra
1962:      Oratorio "St.Peter" (complete)
1982:      Oboe Concerto
1992:      Sinfonietta No.2
plus a choral piece "The Witnesses" for which I cannot find a composition date.

Mind you, this list may be incomplete because a number of works by Jones don't appear in other lists of his compositions: eg the 1956 Suite "Dobra Niva", the 1977 Choral Suite "Hear the Voice of the Ancient Bard", the 1978 Suite "Salute to Dylan Thomas" or the 1987 Cantata "Come my way, my truth, my life".
Each of these is in our catalogue here but try finding out much if anything about them

The Witnesses, for male chorus and orchestra, dates from 1971.

Also not represented are -

1969: Investiture Processional Music
1971: Prelude, The Witnesses [independent of the choral work]
1977: Prelude for Orchestra
1987: Orchestral Fantasia, Whither, O Whither art Thou Fled?
1989: Overture, Orpheus and Bacchus

and then there are the two operas -

1961: The Knife
1967: Orestes

[albion]

The next entry in the Savoy series has just been added, this time conducted by Barry Wordsworth:

Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) - Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri (1882)

Many thanks, Herbie.

[albion]

... and Mackerras is back for

Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) - The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu (1885) and Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse (1887)

[jowcol]

Alan Bush is a British 20th Century composer, and there is an excellent website about him at:

http://www.alanbushtrust.org.uk/default.asp?room=Home

in Grove's Dictionary, 5th Edition, Colin Mason wrote: "His range is wide, the quality of his music consistently excellent. He has the intellectual concentration of Tippett, the easy command and expansiveness of Walton, the nervous intensity of Rawsthorne, the serene leisureliness of Rubbra. He meets these four contemporaries on their respective home grounds in Dialectic (for string quartet), the Violin Concerto, the Concert Piece for Cello and Piano and the Nottingham Symphony. He is surpassed, only in melody, as are all the others, by Walton, but not even by him in harmonic and orchestral richness, nor by Tippett in contrapuntal originality and the expressive power of rather austere musical thought, nor by Rawsthorne in concise, compelling utterance and telling instrumental invention, nor by Rubbra in handling large forms well...".

On the Downloads page I have posted another recording from the collection of Karl Miller.
Africa, Symphonic Movement for Piano and Orchestra, (Opus 73). This was composed in 1971 in response to South Africa's Apartheid policy and had its premiere in Halle (Handel's birthplace) on 16 October 1972.   

[shamokin88]

Performer details for two Wordsworth uploads.

Sinfonia, op.6   BBC Northern SO/Clarence Raybould
Symposium for Violin & Orchestra, op.93   Scottish Baroque O/[unknown first name]/Freedman

[albion]

One of Sullivan's finest scores for the theatre, conducted by Mackerras -

The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and his Maid (1888)

Thanks, Herbie.

[albion]

Many thanks to recently-joined member jowcol for providing a recording of

Alan Bush (1900-1995) - Africa, Symphonic Movement for Piano and Orchestra, Op.73 (1971)

[Dundonnell]

Yes...fantastic to get such a splendid batch of more works by that extremely fine and disgracefully under-recorded composer William Wordsworth(thanks Maris) and the Alan Bush 'Africa'(thanks Jowcol)

Oh...and John..thanks for updating and augmenting my attempt at the missing Daniel Jones Glad to see that I hadn't missed any 'big' orchestral works off my list

[Dundonnell]

Performer details for two Wordsworth uploads.

Sinfonia, op.6   BBC Northern SO/Clarence Raybould
Symposium for Violin & Orchestra, op.93   Scottish Baroque O/[unknown first name]/Freedman

Leonard Friedman

[albion]

Sicmu has kindly provided a broadcast recording of

David Matthews (b.1943) - Symphony No.2, Op.17 (1976-79)

Many thanks.