The Central Composers´ Alliance´s CD was a collaboration with the hugely talented pianist Julian Hellaby and several other equally brilliant musicians. The CD was produced at ASC´s studio in Macclesfield under the alert ears of fellow composer Steve Plews. The track listings are below and details of the composers are to be found by hyperlinks with their main pages on this website. The CD is still available for ONLY & £10 which includes post & packing. Details on how to pay by cheque to our Treasurer (made out to "Central Composers´ Alliance") will be sent on request after contacting the CCA.
Neil Crutchley [Leicester Mercury – 7th December 2001]:
LOCAL TALENT TO THE FORE ON NEW CD
“Leicestershire is not short of good local composers and some of these composers belong to the Central Composers’ Alliance, which was founded in 1995 to promote the music of composers in the Midlands. Their latest venture is a very attractive CD called “Music for a While” which shows the versatility and imagination of the members of the group, including works by three Leicester composers.
Peter Crump, the secretary of the Alliance, is represented by two works: Berceuse, a restless and hypnotic piece for piano, and four characteristically original and inventive songs to poems by George Herbert.
Rosemary Duxbury has contributed an exquisite, but all too short, solo piano work called In The Master’s Love.
David Fisher’s Trialogue for violin, clarinet and piano and The Four Seasons for piano solo show his now universally acknowledged gift for melody.
This disc is no mere academic exercise and can be enjoyed over and over again. The selection is varied and most of the works are immediately appealing. For example there are two really catchy songs by Kerry Milan [Wings and Metropole] that stay in the mind for days as does the wistful opening theme of Kenneth Gange’s lovely Arioso and Scherzo for clarinet and piano. Robert Ramskill’s piano Nocturne is a darkly atmospheric and Terence Thompson’s Reflections and Bobby Dazzler lift the sprits. Frank Stiles and Andrew Downes contribute compelling works for violin.”
COMPOSERS:
TERENCE THOMPSON – Two Light Pieces for Clarinet and Piano:
Track 1: Reflections in Blue
Track 2: A Bobby Dazzler
ANDREW DOWNES – Sonata for Violin and Piano:
Track 3: Violin Sonata [Movement 1]
PETER CRUMP – Four Poems of George Herbert for Soprano and Piano:
Track 4: Virtue
Track 5:The Elixir
Track 6:The Call
Track 7: Antiphon
DAVID FISHER – Trialogue for Violin, Clarinet and Piano:
Track 8:Trialogue [Theme and Ostinato]
ROSEMARY DUXBURY – In the Master’s Love for Piano Solo
Track 9: In the Master’s Love
FRANK STILES – Sonata for Solo Violin, No. 1:
Track 10: Sonata for Solo Violin [Allegro con spirit, Adagio molto espressivo e mesto]
Track 11: Sonata for Solo Violin [Allegro con brio]
DAVID FISHER – The Four Seasons for Solo Piano:
Track 12: The Four Seasons [Spring: “Leaves abound, cuckoos sound”; Summer: “Sumer is icumen in”; Autumn: “Fall, leaves, fall”; Winter: “When icicles hang by the wall”]
KERRY MILAN – Two Songs for Soprano & Piano:
Track 13: Wings
Track 14: Metropole
ROBERT RAMSKILL – Nocturne for Solo Piano:
Track 15: Nocturne
KENNETH GANGE – Arioso and Scherzo for Clarinet & Piano:
Track 16: Arioso
Track 17:Scherzo
PETER CRUMP – Berceuse for Solo Piano:
Track 18: Berceuse
PERFORMERS:
JULIAN HELLABY – Piano [Tracks: All except 3, 10, 11]
PAUL HARRIS – Clarinet [Tracks: 1, 2, 8, 16, 17]
ANNA DOWNES – Violin [Track: 3]
DUNCAN HONEYBOURNE – Piano [Track: 3]
CAROLINE MILAN – Soprano [Tracks: 4-7, 13, 14]
DAVID HADWEN – Violin [Track: 8]
CLARENCE MYERSCOUGH – Violin [Tracks: 10, 11]