Ruth Gipps...

 

... by way of Malcolm Arnold.

Chandos is now on their 4th Volume of orchestral music composed by Ruth Gipps. She comes from the Vaughan Williams school, with a strong modal folk voice at her back.

While Malcolm Arnold is the featured composer on this recording, the melody he chooses to use in his Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps nearly steals the show.

Arnold presents her tune straight, with a lovely cushion of strings to make her music even sweeter. The six variations which follow meanders across many musical styles, textures, and tempos including Arnold's own brand of affable modernism. Luckily, the composer brings back Gipp's main tune at the end, reminding us what a great melody she wrote, and what an imaginative musical mind Arnold has.

The three Little Suites are light confections for mass musical appeal, closer in sound to the composer's film music. The first two suites contain three movements of varied musical styles, co-mingling Arnold's love of robust brass, winsome melodies, and a kaleidoscope of orchestral colors, particularly amongst the winds and percussion. The third Little Suite is also called the Manx Suite and comes with five movements. 30 years later, I believe this is still the only recording to offer either the Manx Suite and the Gipps Variations.

The Concerto for 28 Players is quite different than the rest of the program. A crustier harmonic language inhabits its music, making for tougher listening. Luckily, Arnold composes in short little motives to appreciably walk the listener through the music, the rhythms are always an active and interesting element throughout, and the orchestral textures are constantly engaged in compelling conversations. Maybe not the easiest music on the program, yet Arnold's beautiful writing for orchestra makes the work easy to follow and the music easy to appreciate.

Richard Hickox and the City of London Sinfonia remain ardent supporters of Malcolm Arnold. There is a bright freshness across these performances which encourage eager listening, while the Chandos church sonics create a natural perspective for the listener.

 

 

 

 

Works
Little Suite 1 (8.32)
Little Suite 2 (20.23)
Little Suite 3 'Manx' (8.43)
Ruth Gipps Variations (11.11)
Concerto for 28 Players (20.23)

Performers
City of London Sinfonia
Richard Hickox, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 1996
Total Timing: 58.31

 

 

 

 

It is nice to have all three Little Suites gathered together. They are light bonbons, providing many smiles across the runtime.

For me, the true highlight is the Variations on a Melody by Ruth Gipps, though, especially in comparison to the Neo-Classical concerto.

Overall, this recording is both musically satisfying and entertaining, aided by a tangible feeling of exploration from the City of London Sinfonia.