CD REVIEW
– ERIC
COATES: ORCHESTRAL WORKS, VOL.4
BBC Philharmonic / John Wilson
Chandos CHAN 20292
[TT 61:36]
Any doubts I might
have had about the last two John
Wilson albums reviewed here not
being of great interest to some
readers does definitely not apply
to this latest release. It is a
surprise, however, to find that
the first album in the series was
all of five years ago.
So here we are
again: the dynamic conductor with
one of Europe's finest orchestras
in more music from the pen of
Eric Francis Harrison Coates
(1886-1957), described as
"the man who writes
tunes" … and memorable
ones at that.
The earliest work,
from 1926, is 'The Three
Bears' and probably the
best-known of the composer's
orchestral phantasies. Written
for Coates's four-year-old son
Austin, it realistically
illustrates in 9½ minutes 11
tracks from the events of the
children's story of Goldilocks
and the Three Bears. 'Under
the Stars' comes from two
years later and prominently
features an alto saxophone.
Only three of the
22 tracks are over five minutes.
The longest work is 'Four
Centuries', a suite
conceived during the 1941 London
Blitz featuring the flute of Alex
Jakeman. The score also includes
parts for bass clarinet, a trio
of saxophones and jazz
percussion. Dedicated "To my
dear wife" it is in four
movements: Prelude and
Hornpipe. 17th Century,
Pavanne and Tambourin. 18th
Century, Valse. 19th
Century and Rhythm.
20th Century. I enjoyed
this the most.
Coates had been
taken to live in London from
Hucknall, Notts. when he was
six-years-old, and another suite
for orchestra 'From Meadow to
Mayfair' (1931) is a musical
autobiography. At the outbreak of
war in 1939 and before he and his
wife, Phyllis, were forced to
move because of the bombing, he
wrote the charming 'I Sing to
You', first heard, on BBC
Forces Radio, on 14 March 1940
– the week when wartime meat
rationing came to the UK.
Completing the
album are the first two pieces: 'Music
Everywhere' (1948), the
signature tune of Rediffusion,
Britain's first independent TV
and radio station; and the
glamorous sounding concert waltz
'Footlights' (1939),
which had its first outing as a
BBC broadcast with the composer
himself conducting.
There are nearly
five pages of very readable liner
notes by music writer and critic
Richard Bratby. As someone who
has had his light classical music
reviews barred from another
website, it is fascinating to
learn that 'Four Centuries',
with its Jazz-tinged ending and
under pressure from the BBC,
caused Sir Henry Wood to refuse
performing it at the Proms.
I probably do not
need to commend this release to
our readers, and there may be
those who find it especially
valuable with some of the works
(in my case: four) not being on
Coates discs already in our
collections. And I am pleased
that Chandos have at last brought
their booklet photographs of JW
up to date.
©
Peter Burt, June 2024
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