The English Flute Unheard

[MikePurton]

I'm very new to Unsung Composers so forgive me if I'm in the wrong place or straying off topic or whatever. As English 'Romantic' music seems to be very popular, the companion release to MPR102 Parry - The Complete Music for String Quartet is MPR101 Idyll - The English Flute Unheard. The playist is 100% world premiere commercial recordings of music by Richard Walthew, Cyril Bradley Rootham, Robin Milford and Cecil Armstrong Gibbs. Stanley Bates is a little 'Hindemithy' (I am getting to learn the jargon), Norman Demuth is very Debussyish in style, John White is Messiaenic and Leonard Salzedo is simply delightful and Sephardic. Excellent reviews so far from the British Flute Society and the British Music Society. These are played by the excellent James Dutton (Flute) and Oliver Davies (Piano), Oliver being a fabulous source of info about unsung composers (I am meeting with him soon to discuss potential projects). Check all this out at my website www.mikepurtonrecording.com where you can hear samples.

[MikePurton]

Forgot to add, there is a beautiful Theme and Variations by Sir George Henschel.

[eschiss1]

Re Bate... I think there's been interest in Bate (Bates? are we speaking of the same gentleman?) here in the recent past (recent enough to be relevant to forum-rule considerations ), as when a disc of Bate/Bax cello concertos has been released, but I may be mistaken... no, never mind, very little posted about him since 2013 or so. Hrm. (Was just now thinking about Rootham though, whose G minor violin sonata of 1925 - recorded only once I know of - seems a good choice for another thread given that undersung violin sonatas ready and deserving for/of performance might be part of an appropriate subject...)

[rosflute]

Hi Mike, the CD looks great - congratulations. I hadn't got around to opening my copy of the BFS journal, until your post sent me scurrying to see it. The composers on the CD all deserve a greater reputation, however in my opinion, there is still one that remains to be performed and recorded - Sir George Alexander Macfarren. Perhaps a future project for you? I am an admirer of his works, of which I have made new editions. Also there is an article I researched and wrote [first published in the BFS journal] which has a link to the compositions for flute and further links to audio examples hosted on Soundcloud. http://www.trubcher.com/George_Alexander_Macfarren_s/133.htm

[MikePurton]

Hi Roz, sorry about the late reply and very nice to hear from you! MacFarren sounds very interesting - by the way, did he write any good repertoire for a cappella choir? My email is mike@purton.ndo.co.uk , do get in touch with me and we should meet if you are ever in London.  Best, Mike

[JimL]

If you are referring to the gay husband of Peggy Glanville-Hicks, it's Stanley Bate. No 's' at the end.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Bate, I think...

[eschiss1]

yes. She married Stanley Richard Henry Bate on 9 November 1938. Bate's music (unlike that of Nate, a new name to ne*) has come up in this forum before, including e.g. in a review of the recording premiere of his cello concerto on Dutton, iirc.

*Sorry...!!!

[JimL]

A typo. Bate was intended and it has been corrected. Damn spellcheck!