Musical gatherings go back millennia, from the oral transmission of folk songs through communal music making to entertainments at 18th century courts or informal concerts in Victorian drawing rooms.
A new album – A Musical Soirée – presenting a fresh look at music for the chamber will be released in April and includes the following British composers:
- York Bowen (1884–1961) was known as ‘the English Rachmaninov,’ and was a prolific creator of Romantic-style music. He was even lauded by Camille Saint-Saëns as ‘the most remarkable of the young British composers.’ Included on this disk are his three duos.
- Harry Waldo Warner (1874 – 1945) may not have been awarded such grand endorsements but as an English viola player and composer, he was a founding member of the London String Quartet and a several times Cobbett Competition winner for his chamber music. His Divertimento in D (Olden Style) is included on this album.
- Susan Spain-Dunk (1880–1962) was also recognised as a significant British composer, conductor and violinist in the early 20th century. The album contains two of her pieces: The Lonely Moor and Jig. Known for her chamber and string music, she was a pioneering woman who conducted her own works at the London Promenade Concerts during the 1920s.
A Musical Soirée (CDE84686) will be available from Meridian Records from 24 April