<<  -- 4 --  Bill Newman    EPISODES FROM A MEMORY BANK

Gwydion Brooke explains what happened. 'Of course, that young fellow who was the engineer should have stuck to music. He insisted that a microphone for my bassoon should be positioned directly above my head, almost touching the instrument. He reasoned that the full-tone needed to be caught. I couldn't agree with that. Mozart clearly intending it as a concerto with orchestra. When I thought he had returned to the control room, I took three paces to the right to avoid that 'object' on top of me!

The late Neville Boyling was a fine musician and engineer, as well as a good friend. I shall not argue.

The CDs mentioned at the start of this appraisal both originate from vinyl :

Holbrooke's Clarinet Quintet (mono): John McCaw and the Delmé Quartet, and the Piano Quintet with the London Piano Quartet (Emanuel Hurwitz, Watson Forbes, Vivian Joseph and James Gibb, piano). Both have a Brahmsian flavour, while the English, Scottish, and Irish melodies -- Come Lasses and Lads, May-Pole Dance, The Last Rose of Summer, Strathspeys and Reels, Jigs -- with the Delmés are typical of the composer's adventurous scoring. British Music Label BML 040; 73'56".

The Gwydion Brooke CD, with the added support of Raymond Cohen (J C Bach), Emanuel Hurwitz (Mozart-transcription for bassoon), Delmé Quartet (Devienne) and Graham Johnson (Reicha) was originally on LP/Cassette and stems from Wembley and Hornsey Town Halls. Performances are first class. Ensemble Music Label EML 031; 72'14".

No recording date information is forthcoming, but transfers are by Mike Skeet 44 Challacombe, Furzton, Milton Keynes KK4 1DP, UK.