Carolyn Foulkes (soprano) New Year Resolution - to catch up with some discs that slipped through the reviewing net last year ! Gareth Walters (b.1928) was a man of the BBC and composed alongside his day job and after retiring. This is an admirable compilation of song cycles separated by instrumental works, the most notable of those a violin sonata as good as many more famous ones played regularly. It would grace any recital and assure a warm reception.The flute/harp piece is nice, but requires a little more "flair" in its delivery, I thought. Of the song cycles, Cân y galon is the more interesting and is sung with pure soprano by Carolyn Foulkes; a pity that it needs a Welsh singer, limiting likely performances of the original. Walters has translated the evocative texts; maybe they'd go for the music? Certainly worth exploring that. The composer's notes are good and there are nice photos of the soloists; but designers should contrive to avoid the "target" in the middle of the tray! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_disc_packaging#Weaknesses Recommended; see Musicweb for a fuller appreciation. Peter Grahame Woolf |