British Music

[gasman]

Bax - Excellent - look forward to that.

NB Havergal-Brian: - I've just realised that I've got a recording (from LP) of Havergal-Brian's complete Piano Music recorded by Peter Hill, released originally on Cameo Classics GOCLP 9019 (1982) - if someone's able to confirm to me that the Cameo release is now deleted, I shall of course upload the Peter Hill recording.

I know that Raymond Clarke has released a version but t'would be nice for people to be able to compare versions - see link to interesting article: - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/athene/brian.htm

I too shall be adding some Bax very soon-

Symphony No.7(Groves)
Violin Concerto(Hugh Bean)
Cello Concerto(Douglas Cummings)
"Winter Legends"(John McCabe)

[albion]

I've just realised that I've got a recording (from LP) of Havergal-Brian's complete Piano Music recorded by Peter Hill, released originally on Cameo Classics GOCLP 9019 (1982) - if someone's able to confirm to me that the Cameo release is now deleted, I shall of course upload the Peter Hill recording.

The Cameo recording is still available -

http://www.cameo-classics.com/home.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=77&category_id=86

[gasman]

Well..... at least it saves me a job! 

I've just realised that I've got a recording (from LP) of Havergal-Brian's complete Piano Music recorded by Peter Hill, released originally on Cameo Classics GOCLP 9019 (1982) - if someone's able to confirm to me that the Cameo release is now deleted, I shall of course upload the Peter Hill recording.

The Cameo recording is still available -

http://www.cameo-classics.com/home.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=77&category_id=86

[albion]

Some more Scottish items have been sent by patmos.beje -

Alexander Mackenzie (1847-1935) - Violin Concerto in C# minor, Op.32 (1884-85)
Learmont Drysdale (1866-1909) - Overture, Tam O'Shanter (1890) - excerpt

- the soloist in the Mackenzie is Mi-Kyung Lee, and the Drysdale (though unfortunately only an extract as broadcast) gives a flavour of this composer.

Many thanks.

[albion]

The following files have been contributed by gasman -

Arnold Bax (1883-1953) - Summer Music (1917, rev. 1932); Romantic Overture (1926); Morning Song, Maytime in Sussex (1946) - all specially recorded when Bax was Radio 3's Composer of the Week in February 2001.

Many thanks for these.



There is another Bax item in the downloads thread, Three Pieces for Small Orchestra: these files have a degree of digital damage and have not been added to the archive yet.

[albion]

Two more Mathias works, the first from britishcomposer, the second from Holger -

William Mathias (1934-1992) - Clarinet Concerto, Op.68 (1975); World's Fire (1989)

Many thanks.

[albion]

Another Scottish item from patmos.beje -

John Blackwood McEwen (1868-1948) - Suite No.3 in G for Strings (1935)

There is some distortion on this recording, but nothing to deter the intrepid listener.

Many thanks.

[jerfilm]

Are there any recordings of McEwen's Symphonies other than #5 which has been around for a long time?  That seems to me a major gap in your British music collection.

Jerry

[albion]

Are there any recordings of McEwen's Symphonies other than #5 which has been around for a long time?  That seems to me a major gap in your British music collection.

It's a gap in any collection, but as far as I'm aware none of the earlier symphonies (including the A minor, 1892-98) has been recorded or broadcast.



Alasdair Mitchell edited the A minor Symphony (along with several other works, mostly the ones he recorded for Chandos) as part of his PhD thesis in 2002.

[albion]

Another file from patmos.beje -

Alexander Mackenzie (1847-1935) - Suite, London Day by Day, Op.64 - No.3, Song of Thanksgiving (1902)

Another excellent addition to the Mackenzie files - many thanks.

[Dundonnell]

Are there any recordings of McEwen's Symphonies other than #5 which has been around for a long time?  That seems to me a major gap in your British music collection.

It's a gap in any collection, but as far as I'm aware none of the earlier symphonies (including the A minor, 1892-98) has been recorded or broadcast.



Alasdair Mitchell edited the A minor Symphony (along with several other works, mostly the ones he recorded for Chandos) as part of his PhD thesis in 2002.

Alasdair is another old school friend of mine

[Dundonnell]

Another file from patmos.beje -

Alexander Mackenzie (1847-1935) - Suite, London Day by Day, Op.64 - No.3, Song of Thanksgiving (1902)

Another excellent addition to the Mackenzie files - many thanks.

Is this the complete work or an extract from it?

[albion]

Another file from patmos.beje -

Alexander Mackenzie (1847-1935) - Suite, London Day by Day, Op.64 - No.3, Song of Thanksgiving (1902)

Another excellent addition to the Mackenzie files - many thanks.

Is this the complete work or an extract from it?

I've checked with my piano score of the Suite and it is an extract from letter F to the end.

[albion]

More excellent material from Dundonnell -

William Alwyn (1905-1985) - Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Strings (1943-45); Concerto Grosso No.3 (1964)
Benjamin Frankel (1906-1973) - Violin Concerto, To the Six Million, Op.24 (1951); Symphony No.5, Op.46 (1967)
Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) - Symphony No.1, Op.42 (1964); Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani, Op.58 (1970)

the two Alwyn items were part of a 75th birthday concert conducted by the composer.

Many thanks, Colin.

[albion]

I have been working on two important broadcasts from the 1980s, donated by patmos.beje -

Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) - The Golden Legend (1886)
Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) - Nelson, Op.41 (1949-54)

Many thanks, Peter



The first is the 1986 centenary revival of The Golden Legend at Leeds Town Hall, conducted by Charles Mackerras: this cantata was the triumph of the 1886 Leeds Festival (which also saw the premieres of Stanford's The Revenge, Mackenzie's The Story of Sayid and Dvorak's St Ludmilla). Unfortunately my cassette recording made at the time of the broadcast deteriorated shortly thereafter, so it is great to make the acquaintance once more of this vivid performance of a splendid piece. I have split and merged some of the files to present the work as Prologue, six separate scenes and Epilogue.

Berkeley's three-act opera Nelson was written between 1949 and 1954 (despite the announcer giving a completion date of 1953). After a rather muted reception at Sadler's Wells in 1954 (probably suffering by comparison with Britten's Billy Budd), and only nine performances, Berkeley wrote in 1965 that I should now want to rewrite so much of it if it were to be revived. I do think it has good things in it, but I'm not satisfied with it as a whole. He only revised Act 2 of the opera (for a BBC broadcast) and this 1983 performance was the first full revival since the original production: it is a vivid work and I have merged the files to present each act uninterrupted.