Here on one handy CD are the almost complete major works for wind band by Holst and Vaughan Williams (the only serious missing item is Vaughan Williams’ late set of Variations). All of them are played with the right sort of enthusiasm and swagger by the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra, and if the two Holst suites for military band don’t have quite the brilliance that Frederick Fennell brings to them on either of his two recordings (Mercury Living Presence and Telarc), Timothy Reynish’s more relaxed approach suits the music no less well. Band enthusiasts will want to get this disc, if only to hear how these popular works sound when played by countrymen of the two composers. Isn’t it funny that the best recordings of this music all happen to be American?
