GRACE WILLIAMS (1906-1977): Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes, Carillons for Oboe and Orchestra, Penillion, Trumpet Concerto, Sea Sketches for String Orchestra

Description: This Welsh composer was a student of both Vaughan Williams and Egon Wellesz (although you won't find any of the latter's avant-garde tendencies in her work) and a friend of Britten before the Second World War. The music on this disc is very approachable, full of tunes (literally in the 1940 Fantasia which uses real folk tunes while Carillons [1965/73] and Penillion [1955] convey their essence) and often sounding like a serious variety of "light music" with the exception of the concerto, while the 1944 Sea Sketches are a necessary addition to anyone's collection of 20th century representations of the sea. EMI recordings from 1971 and 1973 except for Sea Sketches which is Decca 1970. Anthony Camden (oboe), Howard Snell (trumpet), London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra; Charles Groves, David Atherton. Original 1995 CD release.