Britten's Irish Reel was composed in 1936 as title music for a documentary film made by Marion Grierson and Evelyn Spice. Around the Village Green was made for the Travel and Industrial Development Association which explored the changes to rural life in East Anglia after the increased mechanisation of agriculture. In his incidental music Britten incorporated a riotous medley of folk songs and other traditional tunes (including 'Early One Morning' 'The Vocar of Bray' and Sheild's 'The Plough Boy') many of which were suggested to him by the Norfolk-based composer E.J.Moeran.

Leichte Ensembleliteratur Für Den Unterricht-Martin Tourish is an accordionist composer and musicologist from Co. Donegal now based in Dublin. Celtic music is in his blood for his ancestors were noted collectors of dance music manuscripts dating back to the 19th century. With many recordings to his credit he now offers his expertise to performers wishing to explore the rich culture of Irish and other Celtic music on a variety of instruments.?World Music Celtic? presents material from the Irish Scottish Welsh Cornish and Breton traditions. It makes no great technical demands on the players but Tourish points out that notation of this music is often ?skeletal? hence it is important to gain a knowledge ofthe individual traditions in question and naturally he offers plenty of information on performance practice.The collection spans three centuries from the blind bardic harpists of the 18th century to the international performers of the present day. Tourish accepts that this volume can only scratch the surface of a multi-faceted genre but hopes you will see it as a stepping stone to delve deeper into recordings festivals and the very communities whence this music comes. ?World Music Celtic? is available in four formats each with complete recordings and backing tracks on CD: as solo versions for violin flute or saxophone (with piano) and in an ensemble version for two melodic instruments (C Bb or Eb) piano guitar bass and bodhrán.