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mbhaub states:

"Men won't buy Liberace, Bocelli or Clayderman (or Andre Rieu, ugh!), but we'll go bankrupt buying the complete symphonies of the most obscure composers imaginable. "

Ah yes, Andre Rieu (the "ugh!" heartily and sincerely seconded), the 'James Last' of the classical music world. 

Now, where did I put my anti-emetics?......................

Hi everybody,

I noticed that Cyril Bradley Rootham was missing in the 'R' section - surely an unjustly neglected British composer!

I've enjoyed this thread - it's been extremely enlightening.

My very best wishes,

Eric.

Hello everybody,

Yesterday, I retrieved the Chandos disc [Chan 9657] from my collection of music by Thomas Armstrong, and reacquainted myself with it. What a reveleation his music is, and this seems to be the only CD I know of which highlights his wor!!!!

For anybody who has not heard this wonderful disc [Thomas Armstrong 1898-1994 - British composer], then try and get hold of a copy. You will not regret it!

I just wish a recording company would record some more of his music - perhaps a possibility for Dutton at some future time?

Best wishes,

Eric.

I will support you in that. Maybe we could draft a letter and collect a number of signatories.



I would certainly lend my name to that!!!!

If Dutton is indeed releasing the Widor Piano Concertos a month after Hyperion are doing the same that appears a trifle silly.

An understatement if ever there was one. It's disturbing that Dutton seem to wish to expand their area of repertoire. There is so much good English music that needs recording. Trespassing on Hyperion's RPC territory seems silly. OK, they gave us a disk of Godard's 1st PC and the Introduction & Allegro, but not the 2nd PC. Now these works I know were on Mike Spring's list to record for Hyperion. He would have given us both PCs and the Intro. & Allegro - but now it is unlikely that Hyperion will bother to record a Godard CD in the RPC series, so we shall be deprived of the 2nd PC, unless someone else issues it.

I am in agreeance with the above. There is still an extremely rich vein of neglected English music yet to be mined. I am very disappointed..........for purely selfish reasons, I have to admit. However, the Holbrooke, the Benjamin and especially the Ronald Corp choral music (interestingly, Mr. Corp is also a Church of England priest) all sound mouth-watering.

More Rootham, W.H. Bell and some R. O. Morris pretty please!!!!!!

Sincere regards,

Eric.

Albion's thread begins: "Where next for the British interest in RPC?" - so I think it is intended to be confined to British Romantic works for piano & orchestra that have not yet been recorded.

Indeed it is, although a plea for more Rootham will always find favour with many forum members! These are certainly very interesting suggestions, Gareth, and it's good to see female representation on the list - given their idiom, it might be possible to also advocate Grace Williams' Sinfonia Concertante and Ruth Gipps' Concerto.

My sincere apologies. I was blinded by enthusiasm and as such, misread the tenor of the thread......which is a very interesting one by the way.

Sincere regards,

Eric.

Hello Albion,

I would have to add some compositions by Cyril Bradley Rootham; a splendid composer who is one of my personal favourites:

Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity
Brown Earth
2nd Symphony

Regards,

Eric.

Hello everyone,

Thank you so very much for your interest in this thread.

John, it would be fabulous idea if some of the recording labels could bring together a collection of these works and place them on a CD - a label such as Dutton or Chandos or Hyperion for example. I would dearly love to get the chance to hear the Blagrove symphony!!

I knew of the Leopold Mozart work of course, but I had never come across the others. There is much food for musical thought here, as indeed there is everywhere on this forum.

Best wishes,

Eric.

Hello everybody,

I'd like to directly quote from a biography of Edward German by Brian Rees entitled 'A Musical Peacemaker' published back in 1986 by the Kensal Press:

"In 1918 in aid of the Red Cross and the Order of St John, he (Edward German) participated in a concert rganised by Landon Ronald at Queen's Hall. The programme contained a Toy Symphony in which many distinguished musicians took part. It was composed by Richard Blagrove, a professor of viola at the Academy and that rather rare being, a serious student of the concertina. German had asked to be allotted the triangle, but found himself at a desk in the second violins along with the brilliant Albert Sammons. Elgar played the cymbals, Myra Hess and the Misses Scharrer were the nightingales, the two Sir Fredericks, Cowen and Bridge, played the rattles, and the pianist Moisewitch, the coveted triangle; C. Haydn Coffin, the original Tom Jones and pianist Mark Hambourg played the castanets. When the nightingales began to blow into the mugs of water the second violins received a shower and Sir Alexander Mackenzie provided himself with an umbrella for the performance."

I wish I had been there!!! Ever since reading this account, I have always wanted to hear this piece of music. Does anybody know anything else about Richard Blagrove? There seems to be next to nothing recorded in the catalogue. I look forward to hearing from somebody
Best wishes,
Eric.

Hello All,

I have just joined this listing and after reading many discussion threads, I am very enthusiastic. Here are three musical pieces I would like to see make it to a CD recording - all by the British composer Cyril Rootham:

Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity (soprano, chorus and orchestra), the elegaic choral work Brown Earth and his Second Symphony.

I've got every recording of Rootham's work on CD (not a huge amount) and his music is both beautiful and stunning. There is just so much out there still to be recorded and discovered by the listening public....and I'm not just talking about Rootham here.....it is all very exciting!!!