British and Irish Music

[Albion]

Many thanks to PJ for sending the broadcast of a ballet score by Dorothy Howell (1898-1982). There is now an MP3 in BIMA -

Koong Shee (1921, revised 1933)
Basel Sinfonietta/ Jessica Horsley (7/6/2021)

 

[Albion]

In view of their scarcity of performance, I've added the following broadcasts of Arnold's ballets to the archive as MP3 files:

Homage to the Queen, Op.42 (1953)
BBC CO/ Barry Wordsworth (br. 7/12/1993)

Rinaldo and Armida, Op.49 (1954)
BBC Northern SO/ Malcolm Arnold (br. 6/11/1971)

Sweeney Todd, Op.68 (1959) - Suite
BBC CO/ Barry Wordsworth (br. 6/11/1991)

Electra, Op.79 (1962)
BBC CO/ Barry Wordsworth (br. 5/11/2004)

 

I have also added an MP3 of

Song of Freedom, Op.109 (1973)
Chetham's School of Music Choir/ IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band/ John Pryce-Jones (br. 17/9/1987)

[Albion]

I have added the following less-familiar Malcolm Arnold works as MP3s to the broadcast archive -

Oboe Concerto, Op.39 (1952)
Gordon Hunt (oboe)/ Bournemouth Sinfonietta/ Harold Farberman (br. 10/2/1987)

Harmonica Concerto, Op.46 (1954)
Tommy Reilly, harmonica/ BBC SSO/ Ole Schmidt (br. 25/7/1983)

Commonwealth Christmas Overture, Op.64 (1957)
LPO/ Alexander Gibson

Philharmonic Concerto, Op.120 (1976)
BBC PO/ Edward Downes (br. 21/10/1986)

Trumpet Concerto, Op.125 (1982)
John Wallace (trumpet)/ BBC PO/ Edward Downes (br. 21/10/1986)

Recorder Concerto, op.133 (1988)
Michala Petri (recorder)/ Scottish CO/ Jaime Laredo (br. 3/3/1990)


- safety in numbers.

 

[Albion]

As a final gesture to Sir Malcolm on his 100th I've uploaded MP3s to BIMA of

Concerto for Piano Duet and Strings, Op.32 (1951)
Rhonda Gillespie, Robert Wetherburn (piano)/ BBC CO/ Barry Wordsworth (br. 6/11/1991)

Concerto for Two Pianos (Three Hands), Op.104 (1969)
David Nettle, Richard Markham (pianos)/ BBC CO/ Barry Wordsworth (BBC Radio 2, br. 26/10/1991)

Broadcast to celebrate his 70th birthday, these are fabulous performance of key Arnold concertos.

 

[Albion]

Left over from yesterday, I've added an MP3 of Arnold's astonishing Symphony No.7, Op.113 (1973) with the National Youth Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley - I don't think that the first movement has ever received a more blistering performance, surpassing his Conifer recording.

[Albion]

Will this pleasure never end? As you can't have too much of a good thing (unless it's prunes), I have just added the further Malcolm Arnold broadcasts as MP3s:

Symphony No.2, Op.40 (1953)
LSO/ George Hurst (br. early 1960s)

Serenade for Guitar and Strings, Op.50 (1955)
David Russell, guitar/ BBC CO/ James Lockhart (br. 19/10/1983)

Symphony No.4, Op.71 (1960)
BBC Northern SO/ Raymond Leppard (br. 30/1/1980)

Symphony No.5, Op.74 (1961)
BBC SSO/ Malcolm Arnold (br. 23/10/1971)

Symphony No.7, Op.113 (1973)
BBC PO/ Edward Downes (br. 21/10/1986)

Symphony No.7, Op.113 (1973)
BBC PO/ Charles Groves (br. 19/11/1991)

Symphony No.8, Op.124 (1978)
BBC Northern SO/ Charles Groves (br. 2/10/1981)

Symphony No.8, Op.124 (1978)
BBC SSO/ Vernon Handley (17/3/1984, br. 28/4/1984)

Brass Quintet No.2, Op.132 (1987)
Fine Arts Brass Ensemble (br. 11/7/1988)

Regarding the first movement of the 7th, which I think is one of the most astonishing contributions to British symphonism: Downes is a bit slack, Groves is better but nothing beats Vernon Handley and the NYO. Go on, explore them all, and then listen to Handley on Conifer, Gamba on Chandos and Penny on Naxos!

 

No wonder the archive is running out of storage space.

 

[Albion]

I have uploaded a link to my MIDI transcription of Simpson's Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano to Downloads.

This work was written in 1967, the year before the well-known Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. It is completely different from that work, although like the later work it has enormous energy and passages of serious beauty.

Judging from the symphonies (which, to be honest, are the only works which I'm acquainted with so far), Simpson was an outstanding talent and is nowadays incredibly neglected. I can only begin to imagine the trouble you have taken over this transcription - very many thanks for this!

 

[Albion]

I have tamed the volume of the world premiere performance of Arnold's enigmatic 9th Symphony (given by Charles Groves in 1992) and re-uploaded the file. I am unsure about this work, sometimes I find it deeply moving and sometimes I regret that Arnold wrote it as his swansong to symphonism given his previous brilliance in construction and orchestration - but he clearly felt a need to express something of his gratitude to Anthony Day. It has divided opinion and will no doubt continue to do so.

 

[Albion]

As members know the BIMA contains composers from other nations who made their home and career in Britain, so I've added the following long-deleted recordings to the archive:

Malcolm Williamson

The Display, ballet suite (1964)<>
Sydney SO/ John Hopkins (World Record Club LP S/5264, 1973)

Sinfonietta (1965, revised 1975)<>
Melbourne SO/ Yuval Zaliouk (RCA LP VRL 1-0192, 1978)

 

[Albion]

Many thanks to PJ for the following broadcasts of music by Susan Spain-Dunk which are now in the archive:

The Kentish Downs (1926)
BBC SSO/ Stephen Bell (br. 26/11/2021)

Kentonia (1928)
BBC SSO/ Stephen Bell (br. 25/11/2021)

The Farmer’s Boy (1929)
BBC SSO/ Stephen Bell (br. 25/11/2021)

Two Scottish Pieces (1937)
BBC SSO/ Stephen Bell (br. 25/11/2021)

Malaya (1958)
BBC SSO/ Stephen Bell (br. 26/11/2021)

For reasons of space, I have converted these to MP3 files.

 

[gabriel]

My apologies, Albion, but I don't understand what it means that the links to the works of Susan Spain-Dunk and M. Williamson have been added to the archive. Thank you, and happy holidays! Gabriel

[Albion]

My apologies, Albion, but I don't understand what it means that the links to the works of Susan Spain-Dunk and M. Williamson have been added to the archive. Thank you, and happy holidays! Gabriel

I will send you the link to the archive so that you can rummage around!

 

[Albion]

A superb performance of Sullivan's masterly Overture di Ballo (1870) given by John Wilson and the BBC SO in 2011 is now in the archive. I will update the catalogue in due course.

 

[Albion]

The recording of excerpts from Sullivan's Ivanhoe in the archive (which I had previously not been able to identify) was a centenary revival in Boston:

Ivanhoe (1891) – excerpts
Nicholas Savarine, ten (Ivanhoe); Flicka Wilmore, sop (Rowena); Richard Conrad, bar (Cedric); William Thorpe, bass (King Richard); Ellen Chickering, sop (Rebecca); David Murray, bar (The Templar); Bryan McNeil, bar (Friar Tuck); Mark Nemeskal, ten (de Bracy)/ Boston Academy of Music O/ David Daniels (23/11/1991)

I am currently trying to source a complete version of this performance.

 

[suffolkcoastal]

What has happened with links in the catalogue? I can download the .ODT file but there are no links to the recordings any more.