We have had a request from a member to identify this excerpt:
“In the early 50’s the BBC quite often had ‘interludes’ between programmes especially during the day. One of these was a view of a river. There was a church with a spire which was behind some trees in the middle background.
It was a film because the sun would come and go. I can still recall the music which I have attempted to reconstruct from memory. It sounds English to me.’’
Click below to listen:
Does anyone know what it is?
Also, in the August E-News we featured this extract with an appeal for readers to identify the composer.
Robert Coates in Norway suggests this might be the Sarabande by Bernard Barrell (1919-2005), written in 1939?
“Apparently it was originally for strings and subsequently arranged for piano by the composer. He says: “Stylistically it has some things in common with both Howells and some of Ireland. The handwriting reminded me slightly of Maurice Jacobson, but his Sarabande is in a completely different style.”
Alan Poulton thinks the mystery composer might be Alan Rawsthone, whereas Mark Henegar (whose 2014 dissertation was on the subject of Herbert Howells and his Unfinished Organ Concerto), suggests it looks like Herbert Howells
“It looks like his handwriting, although a bit neater than some of the manuscripts at the RCM – which makes sense if he making a present to a friend or acquaintance.”