Bert Bailey, on the relative merits of the Mercury and Chandos versions:

>It's not a toss-up to me, though.  The Chandos includes Holst's
>Hammersmith, Op. 52 -- which takes music for winds to another level
>entirely.

I don't know the Chandos CD, but it's worth drawing attention to another
Eastman Wind Ensemble/Fennell CD on Mercury 432 009-2 which contains
Hammersmith, Gordon Jacob's William Byrd Suite, Walton's Crown Imperial,
Robert Russell Bennett's Symphonic Songs, whose outrageous Celebration
movement is a delight, and Clifton Williams' Fanfare and Allegro.  These
are all in stereo.  The Walton is played for all it's worth and the
ending will give your speakers and the floor of your listening room a
real workout.  All in all, a very delectable CD.

Jacob's Music for a Festival, also for band, was written for the Festival
of Britain in 1951 and runs about 25 minutes.  I don't know that my old
LP ever made it to CD nor do I know of another recording.  It's well
worth one.

I've also had a lot of pleasure from a Classico CD of two of his
symphonies.  He seems to be very much on the fringes of the recording
world and to be more evident as an arranger of other people's music.
Perhaps he deserves better.

Richard Pennycuick
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