New London Orchestra, Ronald Corp - Hurd: Orchestral Music & Pop Cantatas (2012)

In this engaging program, released as a 2-CD set, Dutton Epoch presents two sides of the musical persona of English composer Michael Heard (1928-2006).
The first disc is dedicated to various charming orchestral compositions spanning the period from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, and is actually another entry in the Dutton Epoch series of British light music. Lorraine McAslan is a compelling soloist in Heard's Sinfonia Concertante, originally written for Kathleen Merritt's orchestra in 1968 and one of Heard's first significant orchestral works. Oboist Nicholas Daniel is featured in the Concerto da Camera. Created in the late 1970s, the composer noted that it became "a tribute to the genius of Francis Poulenc, and, like his work, seeks simply to "give joy, not hurt" in a world where confusion and despondency are too often the order of things."
On the second disc we have four compositions for a large children's choir with orchestral accompaniment and, in some cases, more modest forces. Charms and Ceremonies 1969, based on the words of Robert Herrick, the composer's favorite, is an example of Hurd's instinctive and practical understanding of music for young singers, while the sea-inspired Hip Hip Horatio marks one of the peaks in Hurd's career. The mock-solemn recitative contrasts with the choruses in an artful variety of styles. Calypso, waltz and cockney knees-up all play a role in the work, imbued with the composer's deep knowledge of English musical traditions.
With talent and scope, Ronald Korp directs the New London Orchestra and New London Children's Choir, with the support and assistance of various soloists, through this delightful program, giving us a valuable insight into the colorful musical world of Michael Heard.