British Music Society, Martyn Strachan

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… included are a number of attractive lighter pieces by British composers such as Ernest Tomlinson, Thomas Pitfield and Elizabeth Maconchy. The Four Short Pieces by Howard Ferguson are a welcome inclusion… Similarly, the Phantasy Suite by Thomas Dunhill is a good example of the composer’s beautifully-crafted chamber music.

The works which give this issue its title give an indication of just how popular the operas were in the mid-nineteenth century. The exception is the Fantasia on The Lily of Killarney which is a piece by Howard Rogerson ‘after’ those on The Bohemian Girl and Maritana by Charles le Thière…

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Taken as a whole, this is a very beguiling programme, with less well-known items such as the two short pieces by Joseph Holbrooke showing that he was not always deep in the Celtic mysticism of works such as Dylan and The Children of Don… Similarly, the piece by Clarence Raybould, better remembered today as a conductor of the mid-twentieth century, comes as a charming surprise.

“There is much to enjoy here and the performances are beyond reproach. The recording too is excellent with a fine natural balance between the two instruments. Warmly recommended.”