WITH the spate of album releases I have spotted in recent weeks, there were three British based composers that drew my attention, and felt it wise to focus on those three as a chance to shine a light on various composers on this island of ours.

The first, Bryn Harrison, has a new album released by Huddersfield Contemporary Records and NMC called Three Descriptions of Place and Movement. The title is drawn from the singular work featured on the album and is a particular stand-out moment of the composer as it is his first string quartet – and a return to working closely with Bozzini Quartet.
 

As is typical of Harrison’s work, minimal material combined with what feels like overwhelming stasis is par for the course, and with the homogenous timbre of a string quartet creates a remarkably dizzying effect which becomes incredibly hypnotic as you fall into the uncanny lull of the work.

The Glasgow-based Matthew Whiteside caught my attention with his new album release for two reasons, one because being in Scotland he is a figure who cannot be ignored and secondly this new album The Remixes is the result of a self-driven need to be creative during the early stages of the pandemic, where the only creative work that could be done was in his own studio.

The six remixes are comprised of pieces he had composed in previous settings. Though there are questions about the effectiveness of the “remix” in classical music, the element with which Whiteside is to be commended on is that creative confidence to make what he sees fit or necessary to make – in these years of uncertainty, a composer with a sense of personal drive is a noteworthy thing.
 

The final composer I wanted to feature is the up-and-coming Sylvia Lim, whose debut album Sounds which grow richer as they decay, produced by Sawyer Editions, is a clear-cut introduction to the work of the composer.

The collection shows a nice variety and understanding of Lim and each piece has its own strength and character while retaining a certain sense of self which is never lost even in brash moments.  

The melodic colour and shape is enticing and the unusual combinations are handled with a certain confidence you’d be surprised the ensembles aren’t a common grouping. An enjoyable album from a promising composer.
 

The three albums, though I don’t want to give away personal favourites, show there is a wonderful breadth and variety to classical music in Britain which I sincerely hope readers of the Morning Star will take the time to delve into, and hopefully investigate other composers in Britain who do not fit the stereotypical mould.