Welcome the Queen, F. 95 (arr. M. Halstenson for brass band)
Kenilworth, F. 13
Adam Zero Suite, F. 1 (arr. R. Childs for brass band)
Things to Come Suite, F. 131 (arr. P. Littlemore for brass band)
The Belmont Variations, F. 10 (arr. F. Wright)
The Royal Palaces Suite, F. 128 (arr. M. Halstenson for brass band)
Checkmate, F. 2 (arr. E. Ball for brass band) (excerpts)

Last month, I reviewed a release of songs written for Sir Peter Pears, Britten's lifelong partner, and a very well-respected tenor. I enjoyed the whole release a lot, one thing that caught my ears were some song cycles by Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975), with poems by Walter de la Mare and A.E. Housman. I was thus extremely interested to listen to this release, with this composer, this orchestra/band and this conductor, and this British version of the brass band genre.

Brass Band music has an honorable history in the United Kingdom, emanating primarily from workplace ensembles during the industrialization of the 19th century (to take worker's mind off revolution some would say). It has persisted, and lives gloriously today, with the top bands producing extremely high-quality playing. The Black Dyke Band with a history stretching back to the 1850's is one of the most well-known and highly regarded of British Brass Bands.

The overall repertoire also contains many very fine works, both from established classical composers, and others who composed primarily for this genre. For example, Gustav Holst composed several pieces for brass and military bands (different instruments), including 'A Moorside Suite', Suites 1 and 2, and Hammersmith - A Prelude and Scherzo. I have loved these for decades, first listening to a World Records Club release in the early 1970's.

Sir Arthur Bliss is a recognized British composer, excelling in both 'serious' formats and in music for films. Many of the works on this release were originally composed for traditional orchestral forces and are heard in arrangements for brass band. 'Kenilworth' and 'Belmont' are the only works on this disc that were originally composed for these forces, the latter being composed for brass band but formally arranged by a leading band arranger at Bliss' request.

The works represent some of the finer moments of Bliss, sometimes in excerpts or suites, and provide high level musical entertainment. Having said that, I would say the level of creativity is a little variable, sometimes very high, sometimes more workaday, though always written with great professional skill.

For example, the first piece on the disc 'Welcome the Queen' feels like the ceremonial puffery that might be expected from the 'Master of the Queen's Musick', albeit written in a professional manner.

Then, with 'Kenilworth', inspired by Bliss hearing a temperance band rehearsal in Bolton, northern England, we get a little more depth in the music. In the first two movements, cornet and euphonium call and answer each other, it's a great contrast of sounds. It's followed by the ballet suite from Adam Zero, and the film music from Korda's film on HG Wells novel 'Things to Come'. Both works are well known amongst the Bliss oeuvre, and they contain much that sparkles with a high level of melodic inspiration.

Each movement from the 'Things to Come' suite is highly enjoyable, demonstrating Bliss at his best. Even though the constricting realities of composing for a film where the action dictates the music, rather than the other way around, frustrated Bliss at times, the scenario and drive of the movie and the underlying Wells novel clearly fired his imagination.

The 'Belmont Variations' are excellent - written in 1962 but seemingly looking back to the time when Bliss and his wife (born in the Massachusetts town of Belmont) were stuck in the US as UK and Germany went to war in 1939. The suite reflects some of this darker period, with gentler and darker tones, some lovely lilting waltzes, and entertaining cadenzas for cornet, euphonium, and trombone.

The release finishes with a suite of movements from the 'Checkmate' ballet - quite well-known and all excellent and played with real gusto, and no little virtuosity, with the excellent John Wilson alive to the music's interpretive opportunities.

The accompanying booklet has a lot of fascinating backgrounds to each piece, and with the excellent recording this makes for a very useful and enjoyable release shedding light on otherwise infrequently visited corners of the classical repertoire.