British Music

[Dylan]

Liza Lehmann's vocal cycle "In a Persian Garden"; someone asked for this, which reminded me that I have it somewhere: will upload it when I've a) found it b) mastered mediafire. So don't hold your breath...!

[albion]

Quite a while ago, Amphissa asked for an indication of some highlights in this collection of British music in order to focus on particular pieces and avoid being swamped with downloads - sorry, I've just seen the post!

The following is a very personal choice of favourites:

Choral/ Vocal:

Bantock - Omar Khayyam; Sea-Wanderers
Bush - The Winter Journey
Dyson - St. Paul's Voyage to Melita
Hay - The Wind Among the Reeds
Holbrooke - The Bells
Holst - Hecuba's Lament
Mackenzie - The Rose of Sharon
Parry - The Lotos-Eaters
Stanford - Fairy-Day
Samuel Wesley - Confitebor tibi, Domine

Orchestral/ Concertos:

Bantock - Celtic Symphony
Boughton - Symphony No.2
Bowen - Symphony No.3
Boyle - Violin Concerto
Brian - Symphony No.5; Symphony No.27
Bush - Piano Concerto [with choral finale]
Delius - On the Mountains
Foulds - Cello Concerto
German - The Seasons
Gipps - Symphony No.4
Hoddinott - Symphony No.7
Jacob - Chaconne; Variations
Jones - Symphony No.2; Symphony No.7
Mackenzie - Scottish Concerto
Potter - Symphonies
Charles Wesley - Keyboard Concertos
Whitlock - Organ Symphony
Williams - Symphony No.1
Wordsworth - Symphony No.1; Symphony No.4; Symphony No.5

Opera:

Bliss - The Olympians
Scott - The Alchemist
Stanford - The Travelling Companion

[Dundonnell]

I hadn't downloaded the Boyle Violin Concerto.....but I shall now

Had never heard of HER   (Orginally I read as "Ian")



...........oh My Goodness, it IS beautiful

[albion]

Ina Boyle has been briefly discussed in this thread - http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,872.msg11445.html#msg11445

The Violin Concerto is a beautiful rhapsodic piece, very much indebted to the modal style of her teacher Vaughan Williams.

[Dundonnell]

Since RVW is my favourite composer and his modal style is so exceedingly to my taste it is therefore no surprise that I am being bowled over by the Boyle

[eschiss1]

Back in Ithaca, looking forward to downloading some of the recently-uploaded material now I'm at my own computer and can do so
About the Prout organ concerto no.1 opus 5, MPH has a study score and preface posted here (composed 1870, premiered 1872, published 1886).

[Dundonnell]

Alun Hoddinott's Violin Concerto No.2 'Mistral' (1995), in a BBC radio broadcast from 2005 played by Olivier Charlier with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Douglas Bostock, has been added to the British Music Downloads section.

[eschiss1]

Shamokin- thanks for uploading the Stanford quartets, looking forward to hearing them. So far I've only heard the 3rd quartet (Steve's Bedroom Band version and years before that my own poor excuse of a MIDI; the readthrough you mention would be good to hear too!)- not yet heard the 1st and 2nd on Hyperion...

Christopher Steel- I think his 5th symphony according to CADENSA (The British Library Sound Archive) is from a program "Recent British Music" broadcast on August 23 1987. (Cadensa seems to list only a Graham Treacher-conducted recording of Butterworth's symphony 2 but (1) it's not complete (2) may not be searching right- the right entry may lack the full word "Arthur" for instance...
I see from the Gipps Wikipedia article that Gipps' opus 34 concerto was recorded - not the archive recording, but a CD - on Cameo Classics this year 2011. Well, good. I know only her Leviathan, I think , for contrabassoon and strings, but will listen happily to the rest...)
Gipps sym.4 movement headings- not exactly sure how these subdivide to 3 movements- Moderato - Allegro molto -- Adagio -- Scherzo. Allegretto -- Finale. Andante.

[eschiss1]

Re William B. Wordsworth: the violin concerto in A is I think opus 60- opus 84 is the violin sonata (unless what's uploaded is an arrangement of the sonata?) Haven't found many tempo indications for his works except in Conway's article, so far.

About Grace Williams, don't know about all the conflicting articles, indications and whatnot and need to listen to see if there's an explanation before the music starts of course; Wright claims that she scrapped the first symphony except for its scherzo, while others seem to claim that it's the same work titled Symphonic Sketches / Glyn op Dyr (do I have that about right...) - or I could be misreading and perhaps what is being claimed is that it was indeed the same work, she scrapped it, and it has been found and performed... *walks off dizzily*

For Fricker symphony 1: movement listings from Schott:

I Alla breve
II Adagio con molto passione
III Tableau and Danse
IV Finale

[eschiss1]

... oh. and for the London String Quartet performance of Stanford's 8th quartet, Cadensa gives this notation which I hope someone understands and which may relate to its broadcast date-

BBC Radio 3 196832

Eric

[eschiss1]

erm- also. 1917-29 for the Tigers? That sounds more like the dates for the Gothic and other works combined. I think W Havergal Brian's opera The Tigers has the dates 1916-18, more or less...? I think...
Ah!! "Composed 1917-19, orchestrated 1921-22 (six orchestral movements - see also Derived works below) and 1928-29." Ok.
Eric

btw also re the Hurlstone 1905 phantasy, I look forward to comparing the broadcast with the more recent version at IMSLP by Steve's band (which takes a minute longer, just about).

[Dundonnell]

I have no difficulty with my link to the Hoddinott Violin Concerto No.2 being copied into the extended list initially posted by Albion. It makes much more sense if all the British music continues to be listed chronologically by composer. I shall then delete my post and the link.

[albion]

I've transferred copies of the Hoddinott Violin Concerto No.2 and the two Stanford String Quartets into the main BMB listing - many thanks to Dundonnell and shamokin88 for these - there is no harm in keeping the initial postings in the thread as well!

... oh. and for the London String Quartet performance of Stanford's 8th quartet, Cadensa gives this notation which I hope someone understands and which may relate to its broadcast date-

BBC Radio 3 196832

Eric

This means a broadcast on 2nd March 1968

Re William B. Wordsworth: the violin concerto in A is I think opus 60- opus 84 is the violin sonata (unless what's uploaded is an arrangement of the sonata?) Haven't found many tempo indications for his works except in Conway's article, so far.

This has always been listed as Op.60

About Grace Williams, don't know about all the conflicting articles, indications and whatnot and need to listen to see if there's an explanation before the music starts of course; Wright claims that she scrapped the first symphony except for its scherzo, while others seem to claim that it's the same work titled Symphonic Sketches / Glyn op Dyr (do I have that about right...) - or I could be misreading and perhaps what is being claimed is that it was indeed the same work, she scrapped it, and it has been found and performed... *walks off dizzily*

There is an excellent monograph on Grace Williams by Malcolm Boyd (University of Wales Press, 1980). Regarding 'Symphony No.1' -

Its full title, on one of the surviving manuscripts at least, is Symphony no.1 in the form of Symphonic Impressions of the Glendower Scene in 'Henry IV Part 1': the composer usually referred to it simply as Symphonic Impressions. The first three of its four movements are musical portrayals of the character Owen Glendower in Act III scene 1 of Shakespeare's play, each one illustrating a different facet of his character. The first [shows] Glendower as a mighty warrior [, ... the] second movement depicts Glendower the dreamer [, ...the] third movement, entitled 'Scherzo barbaro e segreto', is an impression of Glendower the magician [and] the work ends with an epilogue. Here the composer puts aside Shakespeare's characterization and attempts, in her own words, 'a retrospective impression of Owain Glendwr, great figure of Welsh history'.

[Dundonnell]

Just in case those who were looking forward to the release of my collection of tapes of otherwise unavailable British music are wondering what has happened to them .....

I have recovered all of the required tapes and have managed to get my old reel-to-reel machine working again(long story ). The tapes seem in good working order. So far I have not been able to connect the machine to my amplifier-although I have the required connector now-but even through the tape machine's own internal speakers the sound quality is amazing

All of the music was taped from BBC Radio between 1973 and 1981.

I have been listening to Daniel Jones Symphonies Nos. 3 and 10 and to Havergal Brian's Opera "Agamemnon"(the 1974 performance by Richard Armstrong). Arnold Cooke up next

It is a quite extraordinary experience listening again to music recorded over 30 years ago and which has lain hidden away in my attic for all these years.
And immensely pleasing to think that I can-at long last-share it with others soon

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Christmas will come early, Colin!