John Ireland's 'London Overture'
Posted by: Wiltshireman on 12 February 2005
Can anyone tell me if there is a current orchestral version however old the performance available to buy of this work. Failing that does anyone have one they could copy for me? I would of course reimburse any expenses. John Ireland originally wrote this for the brass band under the title of Comedy Overture but it the later string performance is what I need.
Thanks in anticipation.
Thanks in anticipation.
Posted on: 12 February 2005 by Huwge
My Dad may have something, but he's away for a week. Send me an e-mail if no one else able to help. No promises, mind - but I know he has several pieces by Ireland
huwge "at" mac "dot" com - substitute with "@" and "."
huwge "at" mac "dot" com - substitute with "@" and "."
Posted on: 12 February 2005 by Huwge
"Greater Love Hath No Man" includes this, it is on Chandos (Catalog 10110), LSO conducted by Richard Hickox
Posted on: 13 February 2005 by graham55
There is an EMI "British Composers" (ie lowish midprice) CD (5 65109 2), on which Barbirolli conducts the LSO in Ireland's London Overture, from 1965. It's a lovely work and a great recording.
That comes as a filler to Barbirolli's 1967 performance of Vaughan Williams' glorious "London Symphony" with his own Halle Orchestra.
Highly recommended, indeed one of my most treasured CDs of all.
G
That comes as a filler to Barbirolli's 1967 performance of Vaughan Williams' glorious "London Symphony" with his own Halle Orchestra.
Highly recommended, indeed one of my most treasured CDs of all.
G
Posted on: 13 February 2005 by Wiltshireman
Many thanks all I found a cd on Amazon and have placed an order. Many thanks once again.
Posted on: 13 February 2005 by graham55
Good man! Dare I ask if you went for the Barbirolli version?
G
G
Posted on: 20 February 2005 by Wiltshireman
Hi graham55,
Sorry about not replying sooner but the answer is no for no other reason than Amazon only supply the one (Hickox) and I do not have the time to track down another performance. I will get back to this topic when I can to let you know our thoughts on a non brass performance.
Sorry about not replying sooner but the answer is no for no other reason than Amazon only supply the one (Hickox) and I do not have the time to track down another performance. I will get back to this topic when I can to let you know our thoughts on a non brass performance.
Posted on: 25 March 2005 by Wiltshireman
Hi Huwge and Graham55
Sorry for the delay in getting back to this topic but three weeks of flu and the resulting lack of energy was the reason! Well the consensus was that it was all very interesting but not really very helpful. The arrangement done for orchestra was extremely different to the brass band original score i.e. tempos, rhythms, chord structures etc etc he really changed the structure in places out of all recognition infact if we had attempted to emulate this version on the contest stage we would have been laughed off the stage and probably placed last. Everyone who heard the orchestral version enjoyed it but found it more an oddity than a useful interpretation but personally I enjoyed the ‘slowness’ of the performance and thus being able to hear the diction that brass band perhaps cannot emulate. By the way we won our contest beating the second band by 2 points (a VERY big margin in reality) and now look forward to travelling to Yorkshire in September for the National finals contest. Many many thanks for your help.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to this topic but three weeks of flu and the resulting lack of energy was the reason! Well the consensus was that it was all very interesting but not really very helpful. The arrangement done for orchestra was extremely different to the brass band original score i.e. tempos, rhythms, chord structures etc etc he really changed the structure in places out of all recognition infact if we had attempted to emulate this version on the contest stage we would have been laughed off the stage and probably placed last. Everyone who heard the orchestral version enjoyed it but found it more an oddity than a useful interpretation but personally I enjoyed the ‘slowness’ of the performance and thus being able to hear the diction that brass band perhaps cannot emulate. By the way we won our contest beating the second band by 2 points (a VERY big margin in reality) and now look forward to travelling to Yorkshire in September for the National finals contest. Many many thanks for your help.
Posted on: 25 March 2005 by graham55
I don't know the Hickox recording and I've never heard the brass band original setting, but I was a bit suprised by your "slowness" remark. It had never occurred to me that it's a slow piece.
Anyway, I'm listening to JB's performance now, which takes 12m 13s, and I'm trying to imagine it played by a brass band. I suppose that I see what you mean.
Congrats on your first placing and good luck in the national finals.
Graham
Anyway, I'm listening to JB's performance now, which takes 12m 13s, and I'm trying to imagine it played by a brass band. I suppose that I see what you mean.
Congrats on your first placing and good luck in the national finals.
Graham
Posted on: 25 March 2005 by Huwge
Well done on the result. Having listened to the piece, I am, like Graham, intrigued to imagine how it would sound in a brass band setting.
Good luck in the Nationals.
Huw
Good luck in the Nationals.
Huw