SKU: FP.FCG08

ISBN 9790570504084.

Born in Bury in 1937, Gordon Crosse is one of the most distinguished composers of his generation. He studied at Oxford University under Egon Wellesz and, during a long academic career, was Composer-in-Residence at King's College Cambridge from 1973-75. His best known works include the oboe concertante Ariadne, the Three Choirs Festival Oratorio Changes, the opera Purgatory, the children's entertainment Meet my Folks, to words by Ted Hughes, the orchestral Dreamsongs (a homage to the music of Benjamin Britten) and Memories of Morning: Night (a monodrama for mezzo-soprano and orchestra).

Three Twitchings was first performed by John Turner (recorder) and Nathan Williamson (piano) in the Library at The Red House, Aldeburgh, on October 4th 2018. Two scores are provided, rather than a separate recorder part, so that the recorder player can see and respond to the pianist's part as they play.

SKU: FP.FHP05

ISBN 9790570504039.

Peter Hope's Recorder Sonata is the most substantial piece in his growing body of work for the recorder, published by Forsyth. Hope has written and arranged for many internationally known names, including Jose Carreras and Kiri te Kanawa, and other composers including John Williams and James Horner. His original compositions include the Suite: Ring of Kerry (which won an Ivor Novello Award in 1968/9), a Trumpet Concerto, performed by Elgar Howarth, a Concertino for bassoon and orchestra, recorded by Graham Salvage with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and a Recorder Concerto, recorded by John Turner with the Manchester Camerata Ensemble. His Bramall Hall Dances, for recorder and guitar/piano are published by Forsyth has become a standard repertoire work for the recorder.

SKU: FP.FBM04

ISBN 9790570504077.

The opening movement is a free fantasia, contrasting with the middle movement, a scherzetto, in homage to, and based on the letters of the name of, the composer Douglas Steele, an assistant to Sir Thomas Beecham and a founding father of Chethams School, and which quotes from Steele’s beautiful carol The Snow Falls.
Divertimento was first performed by John Turner and Janet Simpson at a concert in aid of the Peter Cunningham Memorial Fund at Mellor Church on 17th January 2005. It uses both treble and descant instruments. The second movement was originally composed for a concert in Manchester Cathedral in memory of Douglas Steele, one of the founding fathers of Chetham's School, and quotes (by kind permission of Forsyth Brothers Ltd.), from his well-known carol The Snow Falls. It has been separately recorded by John Turner and Stephen Hough on Autumn Sequence – the music of Douglas Steele and his Circle (Campion Cameo 2040/41).
Martin Bussey was born in London in 1958. He was a Choral Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, during which time he studied composition with Robin Holloway. Following postgraduate singing study at the RNCM he settled in Manchester and held a number of posts, including Head of Academic Music and Director of Choirs at Chetham’s School of Music until 2013. He continues as Musical Director of the Chester Bach Singers, a Vocal Tutor at Manchester University, Chairman of the Finzi Friends and a Director of the Ludlow Song Weekend. Compositions include the highly successful monodrama about Mary I, Mary’s Hand, premiered in 2018; a significant collection of solo songs which includes settings of Housman, Hardy, and Walt Whitman, many recorded on the disc Through a glass; and much choral music, recorded by Sonoro under Neil Ferris in 2019.