Alexander Walker - Symphonies Nos. 22-24 / English Suite No. 1 Music CD

During the remarkable and prolific period between his 72nd and 92nd birthdays, Havergal Brian wrote no fewer than 27 symphonies. Some seem to fall into groups, such as Nos. 22-24, all written within a nine-month period between 1964 and 1965. They all share a concern for march-rhythms, changeable moods and developing variation. No. 22 is Brian's shortest symphony and exemplifies his art in it's most compressed, nocturnal form, whereas No. 23 offers a more extrovertly scored and expansive scale. No. 24 provides the triumphant rejoicing that ends the trilogy. Influenced by Tchaikovsky, the 1906 English Suite No. 1 nevertheless hints at Brian's sonic experiments to come.