CD REVIEW
– PALACE
PREMIÈRES
The
Countess of Wessex's String
Orchestra - Major
David B. Hammond
World première
recordings of British music for
string orchestra performed at the
Royal Palaces.
Including works by
Curzon, Dunhill, Lee, Quilter,
Rowley, Speer, O’Donnell,
Thorne, Scott, etc.
THE COUNTESS OF
WESSEX’S STRING ORCHESTRA
– CONDUCTOR MAJOR DAVID B.
HAMMOND
The terms Military
Music and Wind Band
are usually synonymous. So it
came as somewhat of a surprise to
learn – from the
comprehensive booklet notes
accompanying this recent CD
release – that there has
been a long tradition of string
playing in the British Army. In
particular, the orchestra of the
Royal Regiment of Artillery has
been in existence for over 250
years and proudly lays claim to
having been the first
professional orchestra in
Britain.
The Countess of
Wessex's String Orchestra was
established in 2014, as part of a
number of changes which took
place within the Corps of Army
Music. It can, however, trace its
heritage back to 'The Kings
Musick' of strings, from the time
of the Restoration in England,
which eventually formed the basis
of Queen Victoria's private band
in the nineteenth century.
The CWSO performs
a variety of music, ranging from
classical to pop, in various
settings both in the UK and
abroad. Engagements are varied,
and include investitures,
ceremonies at royal households,
state banquets and dinners, as
well as providing support to army
regiments and corps.
At the time of the
recording, (March 2019), it
comprised five first violins and
four second violins, three
violas, four cellos, two
double-basses, and piano,
although I understand that it has
since been enlarged.
The Orchestra's
Director of Music, Major David B.
Hammond, was appointed to the
position in 2016, and has an
impressive list of qualifications
and honours. Originally a solo
French horn player with the
National Youth Jazz Orchestra and
the Cambridge University Musical
Society, he spent four years as a
musician and teacher in schools
in Southern Africa. Upon joining
the British army in 1995, and
after completing his military
training, he was initially
assigned as a French horn player
to the Band of the Hussars and
Light Dragoons in Münster,
Germany.
He was
subsequently selected for the
Bandmaster course at the Royal
Military School of Music, Kneller
Hall, where he passed out top of
his class, winning the Worshipful
Company of Musicians Silver
Medal. There followed posts as
Bandmaster with a number of
Regimental bands, with several
spells of duty overseas,
including Cyprus and the
Falklands, and operational tours
to the Balkans and Afghanistan.
After many years
of most distinguished military
service, Major Hammond recently
decided to pursue a new,
civilian, career as a music and
business consultant and this CD
marks his 'swansong' from
full-time Army music-making. I
understand, however, that he
continues his involvement as an
army reservist and is Director of
Music of The Band of the Royal
Yeomanry.
He is also the
author of a handsome new book
– British Army Music in
the Interwar Years, which
was researched and written for
his PhD thesis. A review of this
is in preparation and will appear
on our website in due course.
Major – now
also Dr – Hammond told me
that his aim was to include
compositions which, although
excellent examples of British
string pieces, have never
previously been recorded. The
names of most of the composers
featured will be relatively
unfamiliar, as indeed will many
of the actual works, but Light
Music aficionados will certainly
recognise Frederic Curzon and
Roger Quilter, together with
Harry Dexter and Fred Hartley in
their roles as arrangers of a
couple of traditional airs.
Bertram Walton
O’Donnell – who hailed
from a celebrated military
musical family – is
represented by his 'Fragment
for Strings'. I have
encountered this piece before as
part of the composer's
three-movement 'Miniature
Suite', but it is probable
that the latter was actually
assembled from existing disparate
works by the publishers, in order
to be issued as a 12" 78rpm
library record.
The standard of
playing by the musicians, and
indeed the music itself, is of
the highest quality. As a salient
example, the opening suite –
In Rural England, by
Thomas Dunhill – is
especially beautiful. In addition
to the thirteen premièred works,
there is a bonus – the
previously recorded 'Suite Of
Seven Pieces' by Giles
Farnaby, arranged by Granville
Bantock – included in the
collection, which contributes to
a very generous playing time of
almost 76 minutes.
The venue was the
Guards Chapel, Wellington
Barracks, London, and the superb
digital recording is the work of
renowned engineer Tony Faulkner.
For those –
like myself – who
particularly enjoy wonderful
string ensemble music, this
splendid CD is an absolute
'must'.
© 2020
Tony Clayden
The CD may be
obtained from Mike Purton
Recordings as follows:- http://www.mikepurtonrecording.com/shop/cws001-palace-premieres
tel:
07767 887 793
email: mike@purton.ndo.co.uk
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