Don Ray joined CBS in 1956 as a staff composer–his credits include work on such hits as The Twilight Zone and Hawaii Five-O. Obviously the hallmark of this sort of work is versatility, and that is exactly what this disc of concert pieces shows. Both works revel in the sort of rural Americana popularized by Copland and Virgil Thomson, though without the Stravinskian element of the former, or the French sophistication of the latter. Ray’s music is direct, tuneful, sometimes a little stiffly phrased, and, well, “commercial”, but certainly appealing if this style is your cup of tea. Certainly as a composer Ray is far more interesting than, say, Karl Jenkins (of Diamond Music fame).
Homestead Dances, for oboes and strings, is a suite of dances reminiscent of the old folks gatherings of the composer’s youth. It’s a substantial piece, about three quarters of an hour long, in nine movements. Threading through the work are three waltzes that chart the three stages of life, from youth to maturity to old age. It’s delightful. Family Portrait Suite No. 1, for full orchestra, once again recalls Thomson’s musical “portraits”. Ray offers six brief, sharply contrasted vignettes, covering a broad range styles and colors, with popular dance idioms clearly in evidence. The performances are all very satisfying–fresh and lively as the music requires–and the engineering is outstanding. A very pleasant and fun release.
