“A Scottish Perspective” is an apt title for a disc
entirely devoted to music by Scottish composers from different
generations and musical horizons.
Geddes’ Soundposts is a suite in three movements
obliquely inspired by 18th century Scotland. The
first movement St Andrews Entry is imbued with gentle
parody of some earlier music a bit à la Warlock.
“The Hoolet” (“The Owl”) was
how the local people christened the night boat carrying mail
on the Forth and Clyde Canal in the late eighteenth century.
This movement is a Nocturne of some sort with some eerie surreal
undertones. In the third movement “Claverhouse Post”
an eighteenth century mail coach “rattles out of Dundee”
on a jaunty tune.
Originally written for flute and harp Rory Boyle’s Auld
Nick’s Dance Tunes Volume 6 was later scored for
flute and string orchestra. It is a suite of four dances - hornpipe,
jig, strathspey and reel - suggested by a passage from Robert
Burns’ Tom O’Shanter. Though superbly written
the four dances are not without irony. Neither is the title
of the piece since the composer admits that he has yet to write
the first five volumes “at least, not when sober”.
McGuire’s Air and Slip Jig was inspired
by a trip to his mother’s ancestral area of Donegal. The
beautifully nostalgic Air depicts “The Thatched House
at Croagh” - the old family cottage - whereas the lively
Jig recalls “The Old Ruined Dance Hall” that his
grandfather had built before World War I. The music of this
lovely work possesses a quite appropriate Irish character.
Edward Harper’s Album Leaf may well be one
of his latest works since it was completed in 2008. It is based
on a somewhat earlier work for solo flute written to mark Richard
Chester’s retirement after twenty years as Director of
NYOS. The composer, however, felt that this short work could
be expanded, hence this new piece opening with the piece for
solo flute later joined by the strings and developing the material
in a mostly lyrical mood. The music, however, moves to a climax
before ending as calmly as it began.
Buxton Orr’s A Celtic Suite is the only
work here that has already been recorded before (in “Scottish
Light Music” on ASV White Line CD WHL 2123). It is made
out of four traditional dances - reel, slow strathspey, jig
and port-a-beul - although the tunes are completely original
though strongly folk-inflected. This attractive work, too, is
light music of the highest order but nevertheless superbly crafted
as the rest of this delightfully unpretentious programme.
As far as I can judge the playing is remarkably assured and
these young players obviously put all their heart in these fine
works and relish every ounce of them. The recording is very
fine indeed. My sole regret concerning this otherwise most enjoyable
is the rather short playing time that might have allowed for
the inclusion of some other works such as Thomas Wilson’s
Pas de Quoi (1964) or Ritornelli per Archi
(1972) to name but two that come to mind. This, however, must
not deter anyone from listening to this attractive and enjoyable
release.
Hubert Culot
Yvonne
Paterson (flute)a; NYOS Strings/Julian Clayton 
