Elgar Journal April 2015
And the Bridge is Love
Elgar: Introduction and Allegro; Serenade for Strings; Sospiri; Chanson de Matin; Chanson de Nuit
William Lloyd Webber: The Moon
Howard Goodall: And the Bridge is Love
Vaughan Williams: Charterhouse Suite – Prelude
Delius: Two Aquarelles
Walton: Henry V— Passacaglia, ‘Touch her soft lips and part’
Ireland: A Downland Suite-Minuet
Julian Lloyd Webber (‘cello), English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Julian Lloyd Webber
Recorded at Watford Colosseum, 22nd to 24th April, 2014 Duration: 70:07 Naxos: 8.573250
A splendid new CD with our Vice-President, Julian Lloyd Webber, conducting The English Chamber Orchestra in a wide-ranging programme of English Music for Strings. Possibly the highlight is the world premiere recording of Howard Goodall’s And the Bridge is Love. A most moving performance in which there is much love and warmth. There is sadness too, in that this work is dedicated to a young cellist who tragically died young and it’s the final recording which Julian will ever make. I remember hearing him play, for the first time, at a Music Society concert in Clitheroe in Lancashire, together with my young daughter – some 35 years ago! A further world premiere recording is by Julian’s father, William: The Moon. He had set to music the words of The Moon by the Welsh Poet, William Henry Davies, an arrangement for strings following shortly afterwards. This version, however, remained unperformed until 2014, his centenary year. A lovely, lyrical piece.
There are connections between several of the other works on the disc. Two never previously recorded arrangements of the two Chansons – Chanson de nuit and Chanson de matin by Elgar’s friend and biographer W H Reed. Billy Reed was leader of the LSO from 1912 to 1935 and Julian’s mother, Jean, studied piano and violin with him. And, as we all know, Elgar visited Delius at Grez-sur-Loing in 1933, some nine months before he died. Besides the various Elgar pieces and the Fenby-arranged Two Aquarelles – No 1 (Lento, ma non troppo) and No 2 (Gaily, but not quick) Delius, there are interspersed such gems as the Minuet from Ireland’s Downland Suite, Walton’s Two pieces for strings from Henry V – Passacaglia Death of Falstaff and Touch her soft lips and part plus Vaughan William Charterhouse Suite – No 1 Prelude.
In all, an exquisitely performed disc, with soaring strings on some of the most well-known and loved joyful English melodies, together with two splendid previously unrecorded works. A total delight!
John Rushton
