Cameo Classics

[Jimfin]

That sounds wonderful, Albion! My copy has yet to reach the shores of Japan, but I am hopeful that it will any day now. I very much look forward to all the works, and good news about Volume 4 too, which sounds like it will almost double the number of Gipps works I have in my collection!

[Alan Howe]

Well, my copy came today. And it's a very welcome addition to my collection - although there are some minus points which collectors should be aware of.
Firstly, of course, this is all virtually unknown repertoire. I suppose the main selling-point will be the Somervell Thalassa Symphony, an attractive, four-movement, 36+ minute-long symphony of a Brahmsian cut. So, how does the orchestra, the Malta Philharmonic, fare in this demanding late-Romantic repertoire? The answer, I suppose, is 'valiantly'. They are well recorded, in a generous acoustic, and there is some nice woodwind playing and strong work from the brass, although they are not always in tune; however, the biggest problem is the string section which sounds distinctly undernourished and occasionally scrawny - not exactly what is required in this sort of music. Against that, the conductor seems to have a good feel for the music and his band certainly respond enthusiastically and sensitively to his direction.
The other main problem is the presentation, with the sleevenotes contained on the inside and back cover of a single, folded sheet of paper. The Turner painting on the front is attractive, but the font size used for the notes is so small as to make them very difficult indeed to read. The error (noted by Albion) in the description of the symphony's final movement is, frankly, inexcusable.
And yet, and yet...this is a release from one of the industry's enthusiasts, David Kent-Watson, and I
for one am thoroughly glad that he made the effort to undertake the recording. As long as fellow unsung enthusiasts are aware of the compromises involved in producing this CD, they will, I am sure, thoroughly enjoy the music which it contains.

[Gareth Vaughan]

The "Clown" error has now been corrected, I am pleased to report. As forum members are probably aware Cameo is virtually a one-man band, so please forgive the mistake - even Homer nods sometimes.

[Alan Howe]

Homer is forgiven....

[Gareth Vaughan]

I must put in a word for the Gaze Cooper/Milford/Blower/Kelly disk. IMHO it's a real gem - quintessentially English music - and all the soloists are really good.

[BFerrell]

Kelly's Serenade is definitely a gorgeous piece! It is a marvelous CD.

[Jimfin]

I received all three discs in the series on the same day, which was rather a treat. I already love the Kelly, absolutely beautiful, and the Blower Symphony too. The two Holbrooke pieces are delightful minor works; the Somervell sounds good so far and indeed nothing was bad, but more time is needed to digest this feast, just before the new Duttons appear!

[BFerrell]

Volume 4 coming in "two weeks".

[BFerrell]

Volume 4 end of the month. Volume 5 to include the Dorothy Howell Piano Concerto and the Tone Poem 'Out of Mist' by Lillian Elkrington (due in April).

[Dundonnell]

I received my copies of Volumes 1 and 3 of the British Composers Premiere Collection this morning. I have not yet had an opportunity to listen to Volume 1 but I am impressed by the quality of the music in Volume 3. As may be evident, I am more of an enthusiast for slightly more modern-sounding music-which is why I am looking forward so much to the Leighton/Ruth Gipps Piano Concertos disc- but I am a passionate supporter of British Music and I was determined to buy these discs to encourage the small company and David Kent-Watson who runs it.

On the whole I agree with what has already been said about the quality of the recordings and the commitment and enthusiasm of the orchestra. The Somervell Symphony, in particular, is well-worth hearing, it is a finely wrought work.

I do agree though with what Alan said above about the poor quality of the presentation of Volume 3 as regards the cd case itself and the size and legibility of the typescript. I have serious problems trying to read the notes by Gareth Vaughan and Michael Laus. The noticeable feature too is that the presentation of Volume 1 is significantly better and this would suggest that the company is trying to economise further.

All the more important therefore that we give due praise and encouragement to the enterprise of Cameo Classics in commissioning these performances and hope that they can carry on to record more out of the way repertoire.