Chamber Music 1

The public persona of the English composer Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895-1980) was that of an academic and administrator (he founded the Music Department of Manchester University), and he was held in high regard as a writer and a translator of opera. But his own music reveals a startling degree of energy and passion, perhaps reflecting his fondness for the outdoors. These violin sonatas point to an enthusiasm for Delius, particularly in their more wistful passages; more surprisingly, they also show a stylistic proximity to the music of Fauré. The musicians here are Manchester-based as the composer was: Andrew Long is Acting Co-leader of the Orchestra of Opera North, and Ian Buckle, who enjoys a busy freelance career as a soloist, accompanist, chamber musician and orchestral pianist, teaches at the Universities of Leeds and Liverpool.