British pianist Duncan Honeybourne continues in his splendid quest to bring lesser-known and rarely-performed British piano music to the fore with his latest release – a collection of pieces by Reginald Redman (1892-1972).

Reginald Ernest Redman (known as “Rex” to his family and friends) was born in London on 17th September 1892, but his roots were in the South and West of England (his father came from Wiltshire and his mother from Devon). He became a church organist at the age of 16 while working as a bank clerk before going on to study music at the Guildhall School of Music. In 1926, Redman took a major career step which was to colour the rest of his life: he joined the new British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), initially as an orchestral pianist and then as conductor of what became the National Orchestra of Wales. He then became the BBC Director of Music, Western Region, remaining in that role until 1952, where he had a significant influence on shaping the musical tastes of listeners. Alongside this, he composed for radio and television.

His music is strongly connected to the West Country, with many pieces having local inspiration (for example, A Cornish Legend and The Mist on the Moors), but he was also an expert on Chinese music (he set some 50 Chinese poems to music), and this is evident in his use of pentatonic harmony and a fondness for fourths and fifths, for example, in The Mystic Garden and the three Preludes, which have a distinctly Eastern exoticism in both harmonies and textures.

Most of Redman’s piano music seems to have been composed in the 1920s, before his role at the BBC became too demanding. Elegantly crafted music, it shows many influences, from Impressionism (The Mist on the Moors, La Nuit, Deep in the Woods) to British folk and pastoral idioms (Graceful Dance, All Through the Night), and is rich in colours, warm melodies, and sparkling pianistic textures (Humoreske). Some pieces have whimsical titles (Lullaby for a Kitten, Children at Play, In Changing Moods) and moods to match: touching and lyrical.

A Cornish Legend and On the Cornish Coast share the impressionism of Mist on the Moors but are more mysterious and expansive in their moods and expression. On the Cornish Coast vividly brings to life the rugged coastline and unpredictability of the Atlantic Ocean with swirling semiquavers and dramatic octaves.  

This is a really satisfying, enjoyable, and engaging recording, beautifully presented by Duncan Honeybourne, who displays a deep affinity with the music (Duncan hails from the West of England). The piano sound is warm and lyrical, bright but always sensitive in the upper registers. As a world premiere recording, The Mist on the Moors is a significant contribution to the repertoire and brings Redman’s refined compositional language and his appreciation of the expressive qualities of the piano to greater attention, showcasing the range of his musical imagination in a delightful range of pieces.

The Mist on the Moors is released on the Heritage Records label on CD and streaming.

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