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Trevor Duncan (1924–2005)
Orchestral Works
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Penny
rec. 1993, Slovak Radio, Bratislava, Slovakia
NAXOS 8.555192 [68]

The music of British composer Trevor Duncan (born Leonard Charles Trebilco) enjoyed the starlight and sunlight of recognition during the BBC’s light music era. He also figures with affection in various anthologies including those issued by Warner/EMI and Hyperion. There were also several ‘spots’ on Guild’s much missed and invaluable “Golden Age of Light Music” series which ran to circa 136 CDs. The present all-Duncan disc was first issued as Marco Polo 8.223517 (1997) but seems not to have been reviewed here in that form. Its audio engineering will not disappoint; neither will the liner-notes from David Ades.

In 20th Century Express Andrew Penny keeps his Slovak forces on the rails. He injects guts and gusto to secure an authentic sound. They also have an intoxicating way with the lung-expansive broad counter-melody. 20th Century Express is one of a majority of the items here that date from the seemingly eternal summer days of light music in the 1950s.

In his review, Néstor Castiglione has dealt far better than I can with the individual tracks but, rest assured, everything here is brightly spun with light in the eyes. The three-movement A Little Suite sums up the whole programme with the March venturing a wink and a nod towards Dag Wirén’s march from his string serenade. In Greensward Duncan has his way with a noble melody which has no shortage of pastoral clarinet-led succulence. The final March has taut links back to the opening March: the one that was used in BBCTV’s original 1960s Dr Finlay’s Casebook.

Then there’s the almost obligatory Waltonian/Blissy Grand March: Visionaries. This is to be remembered if you are compiling a concert of classical marches and want to walk into the wild wood off the high road. If you’re going there do not forget the much later and stunningly swaggering Addison march A Bridge Too Far. The notes mention that Duncan wrote a 32-minute Sinfonia Tellurica in 1970. I’d like to hear that. Meantime, console yourself with more mainstream Duncan in the miniature Little Debbie - “Glitter and be Gay” mode, to be sure. Local colour and postcard gaudy is also in evidence. The titles are eloquent: The Girl from Corsica and La Torrida both from 1958

Let it not be forgotten that Duncan has living successors with an unerring gift for melody, zest and tears: consistently David Lyon (aka Leo Norman) and Carl Davis on his many good days (the music for The Mayor of Casterbridge and Pride and Prejudice).
 
Rob Barnett

Previous reviews: Néstor Castiglione ~ Paul Corfield Godfrey

Contents
20th Century Express (1951)
A Little Suite (1959)
High Heels (1949)
Children in the Park (1954)
Maestro Variations: Serenade (In the Style of Schubert) (1967)
The Girl from Corsica (1958)
Meadow Mist (A Pastoral Soliloquy) (1954)
Valse mignonette (1959)
Wine Festival (1958)
Sixpenny Ride (1964)
Enchanted April (1958)
St Boniface Down (an Idyll) (1956)
La Torrida (1958)
The Visionaries: Grand March (1957)
Little Debbie (1959)