British Music

[albion]

the murky recording of the Bush Byron Symphony.

If it's the only chance of hearing the piece within our lifetime (and it might well be), I'm sure that interested listeners are more than willing to grope their way through the murk.

the lengthy introduction to the Bush Variations, Nocturne and Finale on an Old English Sea Song [...] was read by a much, much younger incarnation of my good self

Worth downloading for that reason alone.

[Dundonnell]

I-obviously-agree with your first point


As far as your second point is concerned...........

[eschiss1]

whereas I (inspired by the idea of "voiceposts" on the blogging site LiveJournal where one got to hear, as well as read, one's online acquaintances) rather like the idea of at least a brief narration by those who choose to do so. (I have a whole CD of myself and family members talking and singing from around half  my lifetime or more (20-25 years...) ago - ok, maybe something rather more recent now that I have a computer with a working microphone as I did not years ago. But yes, it does take one far away from the purpose of the fora. Maybe not from the purpose of the mediafire accounts , though!... ) Anyhow.

[albion]

Another rare work by Holst has been added - a transcription of the 1974 recording by St Paul's Girls' School Choir and Orchestra of The Vision of Dame Christian.

Written in 1909 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of St Paul's (Boys') School, this incidental music (or 'Masque') was first performed on 22nd July conducted by the composer: the choir consisted of Holst's pupils at the school, whilst the orchestra consisted of his students from Morley College.

Writing of the work in a letter to Edwin Evans in 1911, Holst commented that

I value this very highly - all the performers were my own pupils (choir and orchestra of about 120) and the music is quite elaborate - not a bit the ordinary school girl stuff. Finally it contains my best tune - a solemn dance.

Many thanks to Hattoff for providing the audio file.

[albion]

Also just added is

William Mathias (1934-1992) - Reflections on a Theme of Tomkins for chamber orchestra including harpsichord and organ.

Many thanks to Eric (eschiss1) for providing this broadcast recording.

[albion]

There are now more broadcasts of works by Thomas Wilson (1927-2001) in BMB -

Variations for Orchestra; Symphony No.2; Concerto for Orchestra; Threnody, The Charcoal Burner

The first minute or so is missing from the Variations, but nothing more drastic than that. Many thanks to Dundonnell for increasing the representation of this significant Scottish (born USA) composer in our archive.

[albion]

I've added another work by Wilfred Josephs (1927-1997), supplementing Colin's generous contribution -

the 1971 world premiere of the Cello Concerto, Cantus natalis (1962) played by Thomas Igloi.

[albion]

Holger - many thanks for the Arnold Cooke and William Mathias broadcasts: I've put copies of the files into the BMB folders and annotated the list.

The conductor of the Cooke Piano Concerto was Brian Priestman and your Dufay Variations performers are spot-on.

[Holger]

Holger - many thanks for the Arnold Cooke and William Mathias broadcasts: I've put copies of the files into the BMB folders and annotated the list.

The conductor of the Cooke Piano Concerto was Brian Priestman and your Dufay Variations performers are spot-on.

Fine to have the perfomers information on the Cooke Piano Concerto complete now - so sharing even has some additional benefits in terms of catalogical completeness!
If I remember correctly, I got the Dufay Variations without performers information but later on tried to find out the details myself. I'm glad I succeded!

[Dundonnell]

I am finding it hard to keep up with the recent additions

Many thanks to Hattoff for the Holst, Eric for the Mathias Reflections on a Theme of Tomkins, Holger for the Mathias In Arcadia, the Cooke Dufay Variations, and, especially, the Cooke Piano Concerto....oh, and Albion for the Josephs Cello Concerto

I was speaking recently about this deluge of British music to Malcolm MacDonald and he saidsomething along the lines of ".....how wonderful, but when do you find the time to listen to all of it?"

It's a fair point.....but at the moment not quite the point

[albion]

I was speaking recently about this deluge of British music to Malcolm MacDonald and he said something along the lines of ".....how wonderful, but when do you find the time to listen to all of it?"

I don't think that we should really worry too much: burn it to CDR and store it away for a rainy day.



As a matter of principle, I listen to everyrthing that comes into the BMB archive, sometimes (believe it or not) more than once!



Knowing that it is there is (at the least) a great comfort, given that no other institution (if I can address UC in those terms) seems to value this material very much at all.

 

[Dundonnell]

I entirely agree.....as you would probably expect me to

[semloh]

Many thanks to Hattoff for the Holst, Eric for the Mathias Reflections on a Theme of Tomkins, Holger for the Mathias In Arcadia, the Cooke Dufay Variations, and, especially, the Cooke Piano Concerto....oh, and Albion for the Josephs Cello Concerto

Yes, indeed! Thank you, it's marvellous to have these.

[albion]

Another important broadcast has just been added to BMB for preservation purposes -

Arnold Cooke (1906-2005) - Concerto for Orchestra

This was an anonymous donation to the archive, for which much thanks.

[Dundonnell]

I keep on turning up works that I had completely forgotten that I had taped.

The latest is Patric Standford's Symphony No.1 "The Seasons"