An album of piano music by Anthony Hedges (1931–2019) is the first volume in a complete set of his piano works played by Adam Davies. The bracing energy and harmonic spice of the Five Preludes, Op 5 (1959), show the influence of Bartók and – especially – Hindemith, but these are pieces of individual character: concise, attractive, and a most enjoyable discovery. The Scherzetto, Op 14 (1963), was intended for young players and was welcomed by The Musical Times as a ‘sparkling, virile affair’. The Four Pieces, Op 20, are rather different, written in a strict 12-note style. Hedges soon came to realise that serialism wasn’t for him (describing it as ‘more of a liability than an asset’), and the Piano Sonata No 1, Op 53 (1974), sees a return to a robust, hard-edged, broadly tonal language. It’s an impressive piece marked by clarity of thought and a strong sense of direction. This album also includes several sets of short educational pieces – all of them attractive – and ends with the Five Aphorisms, Op 113, from 1990, a strikingly successful example of Hedges’s later style. This release is well worth exploring, particularly as the performances are so confident and assured. The booklet notes are excellent, and I look forward to the next volume in this series. Warmly recommended