Christopher Ball was
trained as a clarinettist, so no wonder
that he writes beautifully for wind
instruments. Indeed, his list of works
includes a Recorder Concerto and a Oboe
Concerto (once available on Pavane ADW
7404, apparently now deleted but likely
to be re-issued on Quantum) as well
as a Clarinet Concerto and a Flute Concerto,
both recorded here. He also writes most
sympathetically and idiomatically for
strings, both in his concertos and in
other works such as the very fine Adderbury
Sketches.
When reviewing earlier
recordings, I remarked that Christopher
Ball’s music clearly belongs to what
has often been referred to as the British
Pastoral School, although it is often
closer to Finzi than to Vaughan Williams.
Although richly melodic, Ball’s music
is not without sharper edges and stringency
resulting in mildly dissonant harmonic
clashes. This may be heard in the Clarinet
Concerto and the Flute Concerto, both
composed in 2006 and dedicated to the
present soloists. Both concertos are
laid-out in the fairly traditional mould:
moderately fast first movement, song-like
slow movement and lively Finale, the
slow movements being in both cases the
emotional and expressive core of the
works.
Although composed after
the completion of the Clarinet Concerto,
the Flute Concerto revisits material
sketched in 1998 but put aside for various
personal reasons. Moreover, Lord Leighton’s
canvas ‘Idyll’, reproduced on the cover,
gave the composer the impulse for the
beautifully atmospheric slow movement
and for the completion of the concerto.
Unlike the Clarinet Concerto, this one
is scored for small orchestra including
some winds and a harp. To some extent,
this attractive work might well be the
flute concerto that RVW never composed.
The Four Dances
for Wind Trio (flute, oboe and
clarinet) were composed as a companion
piece to Malcolm Arnold’s Divertimento
Op.37 (1952). The music of these
short dances speaks for itself. It is
well made, colourful and utterly attractive
with more than a pinch of gentle irony,
much in the same vein as Ball’s Scenes
from a Comedy for wind quintet.
Happy music-making indeed.
"Some of my favourite
folk-tunes come from Ireland",
says the composer. Indeed, he has also
composed a work for alto flute, cor
anglais and strings entitled Celtic
Moods. The Irish Suite
was assembled for this recording. The
first three movements were written at
various times. The first versions of
The Lark in the Clear Air and
The Star of County Down were
composed for clarinet and piano as encores,
when the composer was in his teens.
Orchestral versions were made later
for the BBC. At that time, the composer
added his own arrangement of the celebrated
Londonderry Air. In 2006 he added
his light-footed arrangement of Trottin’to
the Fair providing an appropriate
conclusion to this lovely work.
Both concertos receive
impeccable readings. The soloists are
impressive, and play with a remarkable
tonal variety and much subtle shading.
Everyone joins in for a jolly rendering
of the delightful Irish Suite.
Christopher Ball’s music does not aim
at plumbing any unfathomable depths,
but this happy, unpretentious music-making
is really very attractive. I again urge
you to listen to this most enjoyable
release, and you will end-up whistling
all the tunes.
Hubert Culot
see also
review by Rob Barnett
for details
Leslie Craven (clarinet)ab;
Adam Walker (flute)bc; Paul
Arden-Taylor (oboe)b; 
