This is a nice collection of lighter orchestral works by the British symphonist, William Alwyn. It begins with Elizabethan Dances, which he wrote for the BBC's Light Music Festival in 1957. The six-movement suite alternates between the dance styles of the periods presided over by the two British Elizabeths. First comes Elizabeth I, with a Moderato e Ritmico suggestive of a dance of pipes and tabors. Next is a haunting, dreamy waltz – more visions and images than an actual dance. Allegro Scherzando is a Morris Dance that sometimes seems unsure which Elizabeth it belongs to. The bluesy Moderato could have been written for an evening movie scene in a large modern city. More than any other piece here, it reminds us that Alwyn was an active composer for the cinema. Poco Allegretto is a mysterious pavane that goes well with the more pastoral works. The notes say the Allegro Giocoso "alternates between a hornpipe and rumba". Those effects are vague, but it is certainly a catchy, rhythmic, slightly jazzy, and triumphant conclusion to the suite.

The Concerto for Oboe, Harp, and Strings contains two movements. Andante e Rubato is a pastorale, with the oboe singing like a shepherd in a manner typical of English Impressionism. The sleek Vivace is a lightly vigorous, urbane, and catchy dance, with the oboe darting about like a firefly. Before the end, Alwyn adds a bit of intensity, then relaxes at what sounds like the descent of night.

Symphonic Prelude – The Magic Island (1952), drawn from Shakespeare's Tempest on a commission from John Barbirolli, comes closest among these works to Alwyn's symphonic style, though it is not as bold. The work is clearly suggestive of the sea, with uneasy and supernatural overtones. A quote from Tempest describes it well: “… the Isle is full of noises", including the lapping of waves, distant Sirens from across the sea, winds, and suggestions of approaching storms.

Several of Alwyn's works were inspired by the poetry of William Blake. One was Innumerable Dance – An English Overture (1933), a sprightly tone poem devoted to spring. It is a fresh, upbeat work, strong in the influence of Holst, Vaughan Williams, Delius, and Frank Bridge's Enter Spring, along with suggestions in the climaxes of what was to come from the mature Alwyn. (Alwyn also set Part I of Blake's Marriage of Heaven' and Hell for soloists, chorus and orchestra. I suspect I would prefer it to the setting by William Bolcom and beg Chandos or Naxos to record it.)

Aphrodite in Aulis – an Eclogue for Small Orchestra (1932) is based on the eponymous novel by George Moore about a sculptor looking for a woman on whom to model a sculpture of Aphrodite. This short synthesis of Delius and Vaughan Williams quietly and reflectively describes the beauty of Aphrodite.

Alwyn applied the march style of Elgar and (especially) Walton to Festival March, though Alwyn's touch is lighter, more sprightly, and less grand and martial. He wrote the piece for the 1951 Festival of Britain.

The first four works (as listed in the heading) are available as couplings on different Chandos releases led by Richard Hickox. Symphonic Prelude was also recorded by the composer on Lyrita. The last two are recorded here for the first time. Not only is this a fine collection for those who have collected the Naxos series of Alwyn's symphonies; but I actually prefer Lloyd-Jones’s light, subtle touch, and Naxos’s comparable sound, in these particular pieces to the heavier approach of Hickox and Chandos. Throw in two previously unavailable works, and you have something that anyone interested in Alwyn or British music in general should have.

William Alwyn's Elizabethan Dances cleverly alternates music evocative of Tudor and modern times, recalling the reigns of both Queen Elizabeths. It's a work that deserves to be popular, as does all of this music. The Concerto for Oboe, Harp, and Strings is wholly lovely, while the shorter works reveal Alwyn's typically high level of craftsmanship, discerning use of orchestral color, and ability to spin out a good tune. Two of the pieces, The Innumerable Dance and Aphrodite in Aulis, are receiving their premiere recordings, but all of the performances are excellent and fully comparable to the best of the (admittedly sparse) competition. If you've been collecting Naxos' excellent Alwyn cycle, you can purchase this latest release without hesitation, particularly as the sound is as warm and vibrant as the interpretations themselves.

The fruits of the partnership between Naxos and David Lloyd-Jones have surely developed into something way beyond the early expectations of either record company or listener. Whilst the breadth and technical quality of the Naxos catalogue have continued to grow apace, in Lloyd –Jones we have found a conductor that could be said to rival Vernon Handley in both his championship and interpretation of British music.

The fifth disc in Naxos's ongoing survey of the orchestral music of English composer William Alwyn (1905-85) includes two very attractive short works that have never been recorded before. Both Aphrodite in Aulis and The Innumerable Dance: An English Overture are inspired by literary sources (the latter, a beautiful evocation of spring, by lines from William Blake's Milton ), and are worthwhile retrievals. The expansive Symphonic Prelude: The Magic Island also has a literary inspiration in The Tempest . His set of six vibrant and skillfully scored Elizabethan Dances are more familiar, and make an attractive opening to the disc, while his Festival March is much in the manner of Elgar and Walton. The lovely two-movement Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Strings was written in the depths of World War, II but evokes an idyllic vision. Jonathan Small is the oboe soloist, with Eleanor Hudson on harp, and David Lloyd-Jones conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in all of the works.

More goodies from the Alwyn-Naxos series. This one includes two world premiere recordings, always an enticing prospect for enthusiasts and completists. And the performances are as assured as before, which ensures a guarantee of corporate confidence in the repertoire. The Elizabethan Dances are charming and evocative pieces, rather different in texture and intent from the more rustic evocations of, say, Rubbra�s Farnaby Dances. The vigorous tabor intimations of the first dance fuse with the salute to the later Elizabeth in the second in the form of a gentle waltz. The Pavane is warm and delightful and the second Elizabethan Age is embraced with a frisky rumba rhythm, which shows its Janus face by rendering up a hornpipe as well. The Innumerable Dance is a tone poem with its complement of Bax and Holst moments. It�s at its most appealing however in the more verdant and openhearted sections where Straussian effulgence reigns. The more cock-eyed folkloric sections have a distinctly Graingeresque cast and are full of fun and enjoyment. The Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Strings was written during the War and was premiered by Evelyn Barbirolli. Here Jonathan Small plays with no little eloquence and timbral variety in its cause. The pastoral is not entirely unclouded, and its modal moments are calming and stoic. The first part, Andante e rubato, at one point even seems to pay homage � explicit or unconscious it�s hard to tell which - to Delius�s The Walk to the Paradise Garden. The second part is necessarily more active and incisive with its folksy fugato and the slow central section. The quiet and reflective passage preceding the final flourish of optimism is highly affecting. Aphrodite in Aulis is, with The Innumerable Dance, previously unrecorded. It�s a small five-minute eclogue inspired by a George Moore novel. It�s not desperately distinctive. Much the same can be said of the 1951 Festival March, which has its share of off-the-peg Waltonisms about it. A work cut from a different cloth is the following year�s The Magic Island. Inspired by The Tempest this is a rightly admired and successful work. The sense of tension and zestful release is ever audible and even Alwyn�s clearly quite deliberate Wagnerian evocations take their rightful place in this fulsome and engaging score. It�s still more engaging in the composer�s own recording with the LPO on Lyrita. There the strings are more suave and tactile, rhythms bite more deeply and Alwyn "places" the Caliban incidents with greater immediacy and dynamism. If you want personality and a fine tension-menace quotient you�ll find it there. By comparison Lloyd-Jones sounds rather undercooked. Still let�s not leave moaning. Two premiere recordings at bargain cost and generally excellent performances are not to be spurned lightly.

There are goodies galore including two world premiere recordings on this welcome release from Naxos. Best known for his five symphonies and a number of classic British films scores, English composer William Alwyn (1905-1985) wrote many outstanding shorter orchestral works, some of which appear here. The concert begins with his six Elizabethan Dances. These alternate in mood between what you would have heard in the times of Elizabeths I & II. Highlights include a spirited pipe and tabor caper, a sassy Morris dance and a closing branle of jubilation, which has a rhythmic energy worthy of Leonard Bernstein's Candide Overture or the more colorful choreographic numbers in his Fancy Free. With a title almost longer than the piece itself, The Innumerable Dance -- An English Overture follows. Inspired by a poem in William Blake's Milton, Alwyn uses his considerable talents as an orchestrator to recreate the vernal atmosphere evoked in print. A world premiere recording, romantic music lovers will be thrilled to discover this splendid ten-minute tone poem. A delightful two-movement concerto for oboe, harp and strings comes next. The opening section is quite nostalgic and pastoral sounding, while the closing one is a spirited dance made all the more piquant by the presence of a double-reed soloist. The concert continues with the brief eclogue Aphrodite in Aulis. This is another world premiere recording and an absolute gem. A symphonic prelude entitled "The Magic Island" follows, where the isle in question is Prospero's from Shakespeare's The Tempest. This is one of the composer's most exquisite creations because he manages in the space of just ten-minutes to capture all of the moods and atmosphere of that enchanted habitat. The spirits of Claude Debussy and Karol Szymanowski are certainly manifest, which is not surprising when you consider Alwyn had studied their scores extensively. This exceptional program concludes with a festival march, which couldn't be more English. You'll find it ranks right up there with those of Sirs Edward Elgar and William Walton. Naxos scores again handily with this engaging disc. By the way, several years ago Lyrita released two CDs of what many consider definitive performances of Alwyn's symphonies with the composer conducting. Unfortunately these discs were only briefly available and a great number of classical collectors failed to get them. If you missed out the first time around, now's your big chance, because they've just been reissued.