Volume 2 of Naxos’ English String Miniatures series is almost 70 minutes of pleasantly idyllic music, lovingly rendered by the English Northern Philharmonia under David Lloyd-Jones. The majority of the works are of the pastoral variety, most notably Vaughan Williams’ Charterhouse Suite and Haydn Wood’s Fantasy-Concerto. Also in this vein are John Ireland’s Holy Boy, which began life as a Christmas song, and Frank Bridge’s Roger de Coverly. Bridge also provides adaptations of two old English songs, Sally in our Alley, and Cherry Ripe (there’s a great title for a Prince tune!).
Darker clouds appear on the scene in Elgar’s elegiac Sospiri (which translates as “sighs”), and Peter Warlock’s somber yet beautiful Serenade. An earlier epoch is evoked in Geoffrey Bush’s quaint Consort Music, a series of songs based on styles popular at the time of Prince Albert. In all, this is a consistent program that makes for great relaxation after a hard day, but one that also can be enjoyed strictly for its musical value. Fine recorded sound caps this delightful production.
