This new release from Heritage Recordings features a delightful collection of music which immediately conjures up the magic, excitement and joy of Christmas, especially for children.
There are jingling bells aplenty, Christmas carols, snowy sleigh rides, Christmas parties, and even a hornpipe, thanks to Philip Lane and Ian Nicholls’ Captain Pugwash Suite. Characters from Beatrice Potter also make an appearance, in John Lanchberry’s suite for the ballet Tales of Beatrice Potter (which I remember seeing, and being utterly enchanted by, as a little girl in the early 1970s).
This enjoyable, uplifting collection of orchestral music for Christmas by British composers is curated by Philip Lane, ‘the doyen of light music’ (Gramophone), expertly played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors Barry Wordsworth, Gavin Sutherland and Julian Bigg.
It’s perfect for enjoying with children, parents, grandparents and friends.
Available on CD and via streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
Track listing:
Victor Hely-Hutchinson (1901-47): Overture to a Pantomime (1946)
Gordon Thornett (b.1942): A Child’s Christmas (2016) *
Adam Saunders (b.1968): A Magical Kingdom (2003) *
Thomas Hewitt Jones (b.1984): Christmas Party (2016) *
Solo Violin: Simon Hewitt Jones
Roy Moore (b.1948): Santa’s Sleigh Ride (2019)
Bryan Kelly (b.1934): Sing a Song of Sixpence (2020)
Adam Saunders (b.1968): Journey to Lapland (2020)
John Lanchbery (1923-2003): Tales of Beatrix Potter – excerpts
- Introduction
- Tale of Jemima Puddleduck
- The PicnicThe Picnic (continued) & Finale
Thomas Hewitt Jones (b. 1984): Overture: The Age of Optimism (2023)
Philip Lane (b.1950) & Ian Nicholls (b.1960)
Suite: The Adventures of Captain Pugwash (1999)
The Cross-Eyed Pianist 