Vasily Kalinnikov - Symphony No 1 in G minor

Kalinnikov died young and wrote 2 symphonies (not in that order of course). Last week we heard the first movement of the first symphony - a beautiful work that deserves to be better known. Use the audio player gadget bottom left if you want to hear it again. I said last week it was interesting for two reasons. One was the obscurity. The other that the music played was in an arrangement for brass band played by the Band of the Swiss Army - couldn't resist it. I know I'm a confirmed Swiss-ophile, but I think they are one of the best ensembles I have heard.

If you like it you should probably go for a conventional recording however. There are good ones by Evgeny Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony Orchestra, or Neemi Järvi and the Scottish National Orchestra. By the way don't be fooled if the recording says the "Royal" Scottish National Orchestra - it really is the SNO to all its friends. Several years ago the powers that be tried to change the name to the Royal Scottish Orchestra. This almost caused a revolution north of the border. Unfortunately the faint hearts decided on a pathetic compromise.

And now for this week's morsel. This is a lot shorter - by the finest of English song composers. Clue - it's not Sir Paul McCartney MBE

Music for Sunday 8th March