St Kentigern (better known by his nickname of St Mungo) is the patron saint of Glasgow. That city's Coat of Arms contains five symbols which represent episodes in the Saint's life, and Thomas Wilson has used each of these as the basis for a suite in five movements. As he explains in his note, he does not merely mirror events in the form of descriptive music, but explores deeper philosophical connotations. For example, the bird, accidentally killed by monks and restored to life by Kentigern, symbolizes for Wilson the idea of flight and a leaving behind of earthly matters. His Suite is an imaginative piece of work, and has been scored effectively for a small body of strings. The performance is good enough to convey the work's atmosphere and range of mood, but doesn't seem to me entirely secure technically.
Performances throughout the disc are less than the best, I fear. Problems of intonation and technique crop up from time to time and there is a certain lack of tonal refinement in the Scottish Ensemble's playing. Nor is Jonathan Rees's direction very imaginative. There is insufficient expression in the Holberg Suite, and the beauty and personality of Grieg's writing is scarcely revealed. Elgar's Serenade is dully played, and sounds quite dispirited, and there is a serious lack of zest and sparkle in the Capriol Suite. The St Paul's Suite starts off well, with good attack at the beginning of the first movement, but then concentration seems to slacken, and the playing is very routine. The ''Ostinato'' is quite lively, and there is a little more expression in the ''Intermezzo'', but overall the performance lacks real distinction. Virgin Classics have provided a very good recording quality.'