Fand IncWessex Press

The ‘story’ of this major work from one of Britain’s foremost composers at the time is not that well known; the Bax scholar Graham Parlett writes:

In 1921, Arnold Bax completed the final version of his first published piano sonata (in F sharp minor) and oversaw the printing of his second (in G). On 30 June he finished a three-movement work in E flat that was originally headed ‘3rd Sonata’, but this is not the same as the published score with that title, which was composed in 1926. After he had played through the Sonata in E flat to his friends Harriet Cohen and Arthur Alexander, they urged him to turn it into a symphony, and so, following their advice, Bax crossed through the original title and wrote in its place, ‘Symphony in Eb (Sketch)’.

—Graham Parlett

This is the work that FAND MUSIC PRESS now presents: the original version, as played by Bax that evening. The second movement is entirely different from that in the eventual symphony, being an elaborate seascape with the magical freshness of The Garden of Fand seemingly within reach. And there are new variants in the outer movements which show Bax’s original inspiration.

Carefully prepared and edited from the original manuscript by Graham Parlett, this is a wonderful addition to our Bax collection!

Sestina is an extended one-movement work. It takes its cue from the verse form, though it is not a literal mirror. A sense of repeated rhyme is given throughout in the way musical material is treated. This is merely a technical device whilst the music itself is Romantic in concept and, though episodic, has a sense of developing drama which the repeating ‘rhyme’ helps to evoke.

Please note that this is a transposed version of an original setting for tenor and piano (op. 126a), which is also available.

A CD of Gary Higginson’s music, entitled Scenes and Messages [SH209], has been released on the Sheva Collection label. These songs are performed on that disc, and the samples provided here are taken from this recording by courtesy of Sheva Collection and the composer.

A CD of Gary Higginson’s music, entitled Scenes and Messages [SH209], has been released on the Sheva Collection label. These pieces are performed on that disc, and the samples provided here are taken from this recording by courtesy of Sheva Collection and the composer.

 
Thomphoonery! started life as a piece for handbells called Bellfoonery! The latter was composed in August 2016, and was published in the album Classical Gold by the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain in April 2017. Like an earlier handbell piece of mine, Winter Snow, I later deemed that the material could be favourably recast as a piano solo. The original Bellfoonery! version of the piece was intended to be performed at a much slower tempo, and if preferred Thomphoonery! could be rendered at a more leisurely and relaxed minim = 112, rather than the more frantic 138!

—John Mitchell, July 2017

Frank Bayford was born in London in 1941. He was educated at the Grammar School, Enfield, and then went on to study pharmacy (1961–64) at Portsmouth College of Science and Technology.

Most of his professional career was spent at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, where he was for many years Head of Pharmacy and also Guest Lecturer in pharmaceutics to the medical and nursing staff. He took an early retirement from the Health Service in 1988. He was a founder member of the Chase Farm Hospital Archive Group, and his book Memories of Chase Farm was completed in 2017.

He is a member of the British Academy of Composers, Songwriters and Authors, and has written over 100 works, ranging from solo piano pieces to orchestral items.

His interests include history, gardening, Scotland, old churches and photography. Many of his slides form the basis for the talks that he gives about places in the British Isles.

The version of A Red, Red Rose available on this page is for unaccompanied SATB choir, and a YouTube video of a live performance may be found below.

However, a version of the piece for voice and piano has been recorded by Lorna Windsor, soprano and William Hancox, piano on the At the Open Door CD. It may be heard on the CD page or by playing the second YouTube video, below.