The Chandos Grainger Edition

[Bryn]

Just been listening to Martin Jones playing Jutish Medley (from the Nimbus 5 disc Granger 'Complete Piano Music' set). This piece was scheduled for a recital by Jørgen Hald Nielsen at the Schott Recital Room last Saturday, but was sadly omitted when the time came.

I know many find the Nimbus approach to recording a bit difficult to get on with but I rather like to hear the acoustic of the recording venue, and Martin Jones plays the works so well.

[Chris Newman]

I expected that I would dip into CD 1 of the Australian Eloquence discs but listened to the lot. John Shirley-Quirk is outstanding (he lightens his black voice to give it a touch of the folk-singer - no false accents a la Copper Family, just relying on his splendid expressive diction. Britten and Bedford tease witty and heart breaking playing from all concerned. The Ambrosian and Linden Singers are splendid and it is good to hear the tenor and bass members of the Wandsworth School Choir. Anna Reynolds is under-used. Pears sounds amazing for 1976.

For me the real surprise is JE-G's The Warriors. I had never heard the work before. The Philharmonia are terrific. I can only describe it as being like Walton's Belshazzar's Feast without voices, Stravinsky's Sacre de Printemps and Ives' Fourth of July all rolled into one: it has that effect. Apparently it was Beecham's idea but he did not follow it to fruition (more fool him!).

[barber olly]

Wasn't it Graingers piano roll version of the Grieg that was at the proms a few years ago ?

Yes