The BBC Concert Orchestra, Roderick Dunk - British Light Music Premieres, Vol. 5 (2008)

British Light Music Premieres, Vol. 5, delivers exactly what it promises; all the music is by British composers, all (except for two pieces) are recorded here for the first time, and all of it is emphatically, indefatigably, and inexhaustibly light in nature. There is nothing wrong with light music, which may not be as popular as it once was in the United States but is clearly still huge in Britain. Of the composers here, most are either poorly represented on disc -- Richard Addinsell and Gavin Sutherland -- or very poorly represented on disc -- Francis Chagrin and Paul Carr -- and this release will likely be the first introduction to their music for many listeners. No one need fear this music; everything here is tonal, melodic, comprehensible, and, for the most part, utterly charming, though, it must be said, with no more depth than a piece of paper. Still, few would deny that each piece is expertly constructed, superbly recorded, and brilliantly played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia under either Barry Wordsworth or Gavin Sutherland, or the BBC Concert Orchestra under Roderick Dunk. If none of the pieces here touch the infinite, well, there's always Vaughan Williams' Thomas Tallis Fantasia.