William Henry Reed String Quartets 4 & 5

[MikePurton]

I'm delighted to announce that MPR's world premiere recording of string quartets by that Unsung Composer William Henry 'Billy' Reed is available NOW to buy PRE-RELEASE from my website at www.mikepurtonrecording.com . There are mp3 audio samples available here to enjoy. This is absolutely gorgeous music, by Elgar's close friend, the former Leader of the London Symphony Orchestra 'Billy' Reed. Produced by me with superlative sound from Tony Faulkner, this was recorded with the excellent Cirrus String Quartet in the fine acoustic of The Pamoja Hall, The Space, Sevenoaks School in Kent, which was designed by Arup Acoustics and is like a smaller version of Snape Maltings. We have recorded String Quartets nos 4 and 5 plus the two movement Legende. If you enjoy music by Elgar or indeed RVW, you will love this, it's warm, romantic and beautifully crafted music, demonstrating Reed's innate empathy for stringed instruments. Thoroughly enjoyable.

While you are on my website, please look at (audio samples also available) Volume 1 of Chamber Music by Percy Hilder Miles, teacher of Rebecca Clarke - vVolume 2 to follow soon! This was featured very favourable recently on BBC Radio 3 Record Review and on Petroc Trelawney's show. Please support new releases by purchasing CDs and downloads (downloads to be available soon) but don't stream. We small labels receive 0.037p per track streamed and if people don't purchase from us we can't afford new releases.

[Febct]

Mr. Purton:

Thank you for supporting the Unsungs, in this case W. H. Reed. 

I have the Dutton recording of his lovely works for violin & piano and now look forward to hearing his SQs.  (When to be released?)

And, coincidentally, just a couple of hours ago I took the wrapping off your Percy Hilder Miles disc, dropped it into my player and found myself with 70-or-so minutes of truly enjoyable - totally new to me, as well - chamber music.  Well done!

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Mike. It's always a good day when we hear from you about a new release.

[MikePurton]

Thanks Mark and our friend from Stamford US for your kind remarks, it's very satisfying when people enjoy our recordings, let's hope we can afford to continue! We do have a few more releases lined up soon, including a second  Percy Hilder Miles CD, featuring his Piano Sonata plus other piano works and his Clarinet Quintet with John Bradbury, Principal Clarinet with the BBC Phil and the Cirrus String Quartet. There will then be  a Clarinet and Piano CD also with John Bradbury (which includes much little known British music), accompanied by Ian Buckle and last but not least a CD of music for strings and piano of music by Fred Hartley the doyen of British light music composers.

[Febct]

We have recorded String Quartets nos 4 and 5 plus the two movement Legende. If you enjoy music by Elgar or indeed RVW, you will love this, it's warm, romantic and beautifully crafted music, demonstrating Reed's innate empathy for stringed instruments. Thoroughly enjoyable.

What is expected release date?  Thanks.

[Dr Gradus]

I am happy to announce that the recording is out, and sounds pretty good though I say so myself. Those who may be interested can find it here:
http://www.mikepurtonrecording.com/shop/eon3kmm6zlzwn3itk0hi1p7r0vjbur

My Quartet also had the privilege in June of recording the Clarinet Quintet of Percy Hilder Miles, with the great John Bradbury on clarinet, again for Mike Purton. That ought also to be out before the end of the year, or soon into the start of next. I've been listening back to the edits, and let me tell you this is an ASTONISHINGLY good piece of music!

[Alan Howe]

Great review here:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2022/Oct/Reed-quartets-MPR114.htm

[eschiss1]

The one in E-flat from 1904 (don't remember if Miles wrote more than one, offhand...)? Yes.

[Dr Gradus]

The one in E-flat from 1904 (don't remember if Miles wrote more than one, offhand...)? Yes.

The very same. It took a while to grow on me, but I am now truly a fan. We are thinking about trying to get a London concert organised where we can play both Reed and Miles.

[Alan Howe]

CD duly ordered. Really looking forward to hearing these string quartets.

[Alan Howe]

Arrived super-quick - thanks! Am listening to SQ4, which is full of incident and keeps you on your toes as to where the musical argument is going. I don't really know anything quite like it: it's more advanced than Elgar, spikier and less 'sentimental', if you know what I mean. This is music to get to grips with; I am sure it'll reward repeated listens.

[Dr Gradus]

Arrived super-quick - thanks! Am listening to SQ4, which is full of incident and keeps you on your toes as to where the musical argument is going. I don't really know anything quite like it: it's more advanced than Elgar, spikier and less 'sentimental', if you know what I mean. This is music to get to grips with; I am sure it'll reward repeated listens.

That was exactly what drew us: the feeling that, despite clear debts to other composers, the voice was none the less totally individual. I hope you continue to enjoy it. We're playing it in the West Country (Beaminster) this coming Saturday, together with the Elgar Quintet which makes for interesting comparisons, and again the following Saturday in Hoddesdon. If anyone is in the area!

[Alan Howe]

The music is quite simply fab-u-lous (to quote a certain C R-H!)

[Dr Gradus]

The music is quite simply fab-u-lous (to quote a certain C R-H!)

As I mentioned at the start of the thread, the 4th Quartet (like the Legende) was in manuscript. There was a set of professional hand-written parts, but the parts and the score did not always match, and so I was obliged to edit. Which meant, among other things, playing the thing into my computer program to generate new score and parts. I invite you to imagine my emotions when I put the program into playback mode and heard the music back, the first time it had sounded aloud for eighty years, and realised how good it was and what I had. I shall never forget that feeling.

[Alan Howe]

I have now merged the various threads on Reed's String Quartets 4 & 5.

For general information on Reed see: https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,8625.msg91568.html#new