Clive Jenkins: 3 Pieces for Oboe (version for oboe and strings)
Gerald Finzi: Eclogue, Op. 10
Don Shearman: Eine Kleine Leichtmusik - Venice in the Rain
Alan Ridout: Concertino for Flute and Strings
William Lloyd Webber: Country Impressions - Frensham Pond (arr. P. Cigleris for clarinet and strings)
Ronald Binge: The Watermill
Elias Parish Alvars: Concertino for Harp and Strings - Romanza
Cecilia McDowall: Y Deryn Pur (arr. for clarinet and strings)
Don Shearman: Eine Kleine Leichtmusik - Seventeen Going On Eighteen
Joseph Horovitz: Concertante for Clarinet and Strings
Robin Milford: Mr. John Peel Passes By
Clive Jenkins: Concertino for Piano and Strings

I'm sure you will concur that this time of year, with robins building nests, leaves sprouting on the trees, and temperatures on the rise, is not very conducive to a deep dive inside a vast Mahler symphony or the traversal of Wagner's Ring Cycle. Some lighter fare is more in order, as long as it doesn't go too far afield and become cheesy or schmaltzy. This new collection, which includes nine world premiere recordings, is highly appropriate. I mean even The Watermill by Ronald Binge, considered one of the prime exemplars of British "Light" Music, stands up well to serious scrutiny. As the title of the album suggests, simply scoring music for a Chamber Ensemble rather than a full orchestra, certainly lightens the textures, without sacrificing emotive outlook.

Gerald Finzi's Eclogue for example, scored for piano and string ensemble may well seem sonically airy, but it still contains highly evocative and dramatic writing that stirs the soul. Or the Country Impressions by William Lloyd Webber, presented here in a new arrangement for clarinet and strings, certainly evokes bucolic settings. And the jaunty final movement of the Concertino for Piano and Strings by Clive Jenkins, one of the premieres on this CD, brings everything to a cheerful close.

This is the SOMM Recordings label debut of the Chamber Ensemble of London, which celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. They are joined by pianist Margaret Fingerhut, harpist Gabriella Dall'Olio, clarinetist Peter Cigleris, flutist Judith Hall and oboist Michael Stowe. This diversity of musical instruments is another factor that varies the mood and sonic character from piece to piece, and just like a box of chocolates, enhances this varied assortment's appeal.