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The Chronicle Review Corner

According to the record company promo, these works by Robert Saxton were written between 2013 and 2019 and represent “his continuing journey of exploration in modal and harmonic structures; complex in structure but creating no jarring modernist difficulty for the listener”.

The last few words are correct, and while it is modern, there is nothing really difficult, jarring or likely to scare the dog, although the complexity does make it harder to get into. We played it for a week and didn’t progress far but left it a week and came back to it, and it played as far more unified and coherent, to the point where we had to check it was the same CD.

At that point we realised we had a comparison, too: Mike Oldfield, specifically his double album Incantations, which while it does have a theme keeps changing and repeating. (Oldfield toured the album with an orchestra, too).

A Hymn to the Thames (for oboe and orchestra) opens and describes the river as it travels from its head (a fluttering sound from the orchestra, quite similar to the clichéd sound of an orchestra tuning up) then starting slowly and getting sprightlier as the river develops, the upper reaches having strings to add depth and eddies, the pace slowing as the river widens. As with Oldfield, who multi-layered tracks, there’s lots going on, and once you get in the flow (ho ho) it’s a very nice piece.

The Fantasy Pieces for piano trio is a warm selection of works, varying, rich and complex, and probably what brought to mind Mr Oldfield, while it’s back to water for Time and the Seasons, which pays tribute to Scratby on the south-east Norfolk coast where the composer spent childhood holidays. It’s got a feel of the space of Norfolk, as well as a gently maudlin, nostalgic feel. Baritone Roderick Williams accompanies the music for this section.

The Suite for violin and piano closes and is an interesting and varied piece that uses the lowest notes of the piano to create suspense.

There’s something very English about it all. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a satisfying collection that strikes the right balance of being slightly challenging yet without being off-putting.