All of the music except for one piece on
Shadow Dances
comes from the first half of the 20th century, and all of it is absolutely delightful, enough so to make one shake one's head at its neglect. The album has the flavor of a personal enthusiasm for flutist
Adam Walker
, who gets the liveliness in this light but never trite music. Listeners can pick their own favorites, but near the top of most lists may be the
Suite de Ballet
of
Ralph Vaughan Williams
, as close as he ever came to pure neo-classicism but with a hint of English folk song all the same. All of the pieces are quite short;
William Alwyn
's largely obscure
Sonata
comes in at under eight minutes but is fully distinctive with its mysterious, sinuous opening movement.
Arnold Bax
's
Four Pieces
were taken from an abortive ballet in the French style; carving them down to these chamber dimensions was a unique project and probably did the material good. The only composer represented twice is
York Bowen
, with two works from four decades apart framing the rest, all of which have their own flavors even as they fall into the same stylistic universe. With excellent sound from the Wyastone Estate Concert Hall, this is a little gem. ~ James Manheim