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dda 25082 |
| Composer John Jeffreys died on 3 September 2010. We are deeply saddened by the passing of a highly skilled composer. |
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IDYLLS AND ELEGIES The music of John Jeffreys is an absolute delight - overtly Romantic and non-modernist, very much in the tradition of Delius, Warlock and Vaughan Williams. Here a number of delicious orchestral works of stunning beauty are accompanied by fine dramatic vocal works and a Suite of Variations for piano. This CD is essential for anyone interested in the English pastoral tradition - or just in exqusite music. |
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| playing time: 68.57 direct sale price: £12.00 audio sample: Bickleigh Idyll (beginning) |
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review extracts: for full reviews click here | ||
“Mournful, evocative music, definitely stemming from the heart but devoid of any saccharine sentimentality. Traditional, tonal, solid old-school writing. The instrumentation is keen; Elegy for John Fry... could stand head-to-head with works in the genre by Elgar and Vaughan Williams. The recording has lot of body and creates a natural perspective and sense of open space.” – Jean-Yves Duperron (Classical Music Sentinel) |
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“This CD... did wonders for my mental health. Jeffreys's music calmed me and made me feel that I was in good hands. Anguished thought and feelings are applied with a delicate brush and lose none of their impact for being invoked with reticence and taste. Toby's Dreams and Elegy {are] dignified yet sometimes wry little gems. Jeffreys might not be the most daring composer on the block but there is no doubting his sincerity and his appeal. I pity any musician so jaded that he or she would be unwilling to reciprocate.” – Raymond S. Tuttle (International Record Review) |
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| “Under-rated composer John Jeffreys' orchestral pieces are very much songs without words. The stand-out work is Poem for End.” – Peter Palmer (Nottingham Post) | |||
| “An instinctive fondness for melodic lines and rich contemplative gestures...unmistakable overtones of Delius and Frank Bridge. [Elegy for John Fry] is a warm and peaceful tribute...Poem for End.. is a substantial work, beautifully paced and scored. Gentle passions and distinctive craftsmanship.” – Patric Standford (Music and Vision) | |||
| “[Jeffreys'][Partridge disc was highly enjoyable but in some ways this latest one scores higher because it presents music in more than one genre by this interesting composer. [Serenade] is a lovely little piece... This disc continues and expands the favourable impression made on me[by the previous on]. John Jeffreys is a sincere composer with something to say – and that something is worth hearing, This disc offers an excellent introduction to his music.” – John Quinn (MusicWeb) | |||
| “[Starts] with a recording of Jeffreys's delightful Serenade for Strings, lively if all too brief. Jeffreys's response [ to the Gurney words of Poem for End], as for the rest, is most sensitive, as it is even for his bold setting of the Lyke Wake Dirge. Excellent baritone, Jonathan Veira, firm and dark in tone. A very varied collection offered in clear, well-balanced sound.” – Edward Greenfield (Gramophone) | |||