Chamber Music of Kenneth V Jones

Chamber Music of Kenneth V Jones

SRCD.434 (Lyrita, CD)

FIRST RELEASE (3 May 2024)

Playing time: 65'34"
Tracks: 25
Booklet pages: 16
℗ 2024 Lyrita Recorded Edition
© 2024 Lyrita Recorded Edition
Main country of recording: United Kingdom
Reviewer: Geoff Pearce
Review of Chamber Music of Kenneth V Jones published on 24 April 2024

Ensemble V
London Mozart Players Wind Ensemble
London Mozart Players Brass Ensemble
Viv McLean, piano

Kenneth V Jones (1924-2020):

Quintet for Piano and String Quartet Op 26 (1967)
1 Allegro
2 Adagio
3 Allegro

Wind Quintet No 2 Op 2 (undated) (composition ordered by UNESCO with the aid of the international music fund)
4 Lento
5 Vigoroso
6 Sempre sostenuto et corrente
7 Giocoso

Easy Pieces for violin and cello (a selection of those produced as ABRSM Grade pieces)
8 The Day Dawns on the Breakwater (cello)
9 Valley Song (violin)
10 The Moorhen’s Tap Dance (cello)
11 Semi-Siesta (violin)
12 Dancing Puppet (violin)
13 Morning Song (cello)

Quinquifid for Brass Quintet (1980) (for Equali Brass, BBC first broadcast 30 December 1981)
14 Andante - Allegro
15 – Allegro
16 – Jiocoso - Andante lyrico
17 – Duet, Shadow Play
18 – Tempo leggiero

Piano Sonata Op 4 (undated)
19 Allegro moderato
20 Adagio molto sostenuto
21 Rondo Burlesque

Two Contrasts for solo cello (undated)
22 Energico
23 Andante espressivo

String Quartet No 1 Op 6 (1950) (BBC first broadcast 15 May 1951 by the Aleph Quartet)
24 Lento
25 – Allegro

Sebastian Comberti, principal cellist of the Mozart Players, writes: 'My first encounter with Kenneth V Jones was in 2016 when our family moved to the village of Bishopstone in the Sussex Downs. Over the course of several months, I was able to learn more of Kenneth's musical life. As soon as he mentioned having once written a string quartet, it was decided to programme the work during the following Season of Seaford Music Society, of which Kenneth was a long-standing member and whose programming I had recently taken on. Such was the warmth of the reception upon hearing the work that it was decided to explore more of Kenneth's chamber music output, and thus the idea for this CD was born. We have Kenneth to thank for the fact that the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music made the decision, at his suggestion, to include contemporary compositions in their graded examination syllabuses. Several of the short character pieces that Kenneth wrote for the ABRSM remain in the syllabus to this day, and a selection of these is included on this recording. It gave me huge pleasure to be able to present to Kenneth the first edit of the current CD, just a few days before his death in December 2020. He was absolutely thrilled.'

Recorded 18-19 September 2020 (String Quartet, Two Contrasts, Wind Quintet, Brass Quintet) and 2 August 2022 (Piano Quintet, Easy Pieces) at St John's Upper Norwood, London, UK and 9 August 2023 at Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, UK (Piano Sonata).