American Record Guide

Not long ago Divine Art and Turner gave us a large set called “The Whistling Book” (July/Aug 2023: 142), a collection of pleasant pieces for amateurs. Here is considerably more, some with a second recorder or viola too. The composers range from more to less familiar: Igor Stravinsky, Alexander Gretchaninoff, Lennox Berkeley, and John McCabe to Peter Hope, Peter Pope, Dorothy Pilling, and Thomas Pitfield.

The longest selection is The Summer Triangle, a set of 3 pieces by British violinist- composer David Butler (b 1953). A 19-page booklet tells interesting details worth getting to know, including publishers. One work is available with orchestra on Prima Facie 101 (not reviewed) and one has been released separately on Prima Facie 138 (not reviewed). As I write this 3 of the composers are living, one at the age of 93. English composer, arranger, and radio producer David Ellis died in April of 2023 at the age of 90.

Although he began as a lawyer at Fitzwilliam College of Cambridge University, John Turner (b 1943) now spends his time performing, commissioning, editing, publishing, and writing about music. We also have 2 pieces from him in this collection. His playing is reliably solid, sometimes with vibrato, sometimes without, on descant, alto, and tenor recorders. The piano comes across closely and clearly in good balance.

The range and variety of British recorder music is substantial. Much of it is accessible to the amateur performer and though conventional, not boring, as a few minutes spent here will prove.

—Todd Gorman