David Harbin reported:

>Chandos are not hanging around.  There is a complete Bax symphony box
>set from Handley about to be released.

This is rather a surprise as they'd already recorded them with Bryden
Thomson.  Some comparisons between Thomson and Lloyd-Jones's cycle for
Naxos show the latter to be much more alert performances, IMO.  Handley's
Spring Fire has been re-released with different couplings from the
original, and the violin and cello concertos have been re-released
on a single CD.  I couldn't find any information at Chandos's website
about the new set, but tracked it down in the new releases at Crotchet
(http://www.crotchet.co.uk/) which told me that it contains the Rogue's
Comedy Overture, yet another new piece of Bax, apparently.

I was interested in Christopher Webber's reaction to hearing No 1 in
concert with Handley conducting.  My favourite movement in the symphonies
is the slow movement, which has wonderfully satisfying menace and violence.
I still treasure the Lyrita version conducted by Myer Fredman: the Handley
will need to be really special to supplant it.

Richard Pennycuick