IRISH FANTASY
Sir Hamilton Harty Irish Fantasy .
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford Irish
Fantasies, (6) Irish
Sketches: Boat Song. Reel op.54.
Melody op.153. Reel op.15 Howard Ferguson
Sonata No.2 Trad. Derry Air, Lark
in the clear air, Coolin, Silent, O'Moyle, (The) last rose
of summer
Fionnuala Hunt (violin); Una
Hunt (piano)
CONTINUUM CCD
1051
midprice
Crotchet
AmazonUK
AmazonUS
Photo from Irish
Chamber Orchestra
This disc has been around for some time but is still available and happily
so, as it gives us an attractive selection of Irish violin/piano music, well
played and recorded. The major work is Howard Ferguson's Second Violin
Sonata of 1946, superbly written and engagingly lyrical. For the rest we
have four short Stanford pieces (two Reels, Boat Song and
the ingratiating Melody), and arrangements of Irish airs by the
Wexford-born T.C. Kelly (1917-1985), Michele Esposito
(Italian-born, but contributing much around 1900 to Dublin's music) and
Havelock Nelson. The title piece, by Harty, published in 1912, also
appears to use traditional material. The booklet notes are by the late John
Bishop. Recommended for relaxed listening.
Philip Scowcroft.
