Granville Bantock
(1868-1946)
Pagan Symphony (1923-8)
Fifine at the Fair (1911)
Two Heroic Ballads (1944)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
Hyperion CDA66630 79:38
The late Vernon Handley, dedicated champion of British music, made a number of CDs of Bantock's output for Hyperion. The music presented here is extrovert with memorable tunes and frequently thrilling orchestration. Add to that wonderful playing, superb recording and an unusually well-filled CD. I also recommend the Celtic Symphony, the Hebridean Symphony, The Cyprian Goddess, and Thalaba the Destroyer.
