Graham Barber could be accused of hogging the limelight in this excellent series from Priory. But such exposure can be forgiven on two counts; first, he chooses such adventurous and interesting programmes and second, he plays them so well.
This is a case in point. Four substantial twentieth-century works in romantic vein, and therefore entirely suited to the superb Willis in Salisbury Cathedral (an instrument so large that its full printed specification takes up the best part of four out of five pages of text in the accompanying booklet), are given persuasive, perfectly measured performances. Perhaps the recorded sound is a shade too sharply focused to put such large-scale music in its proper perspective, but many will relish the impressive clarity of the recording which generously favours both instrument and player.
No reservations at all about Karg-Elert's colourful and evocative Impressions (not to be confused with his earlier Trois Impressions, Op. 72) or Fleury's atmospheric pieces. But I must confess to finding the Parry quite indigestible; I can't help feeling that the Wanderer applies more to its musical construction than any extra-musical inspiration. And while Francis Jackson's Five Preludes are based on some of the very finest hymn-tunes in the book (including VaughanWilliams's Sine nomine and Jackson's own East Acklam, which I regard as one of the very finest hymn-tunes written this century) the resulting music is, frankly, uninspired: appropriate enough when the hymn is sung in church, but hardly the stuff to put on record.'