on the joys of downloaded music and Gilbert Vinter

Yesterday I felt lousy. It has turned out to be a cold so here I am in bed at almost 8am (shock !) listening to Variations on a Ninth, then Spectrum.

The other week I threw caution to the wind and decided to download some music from Classiconline.com. I ought to explain that Bordeaux is dreadful for buying music, be it sheet music or recordings. So online I found a Joe Alessi album I wanted and also some recordings of Gilbert Vinter test pieces for brass band from the 1960s and 1970s.

I have wanted a recording of Spectrum for years. Douglas Yeo had emailed me once to tell me that a recording exists but how to get it ? Anyway, there one was in the catalogue of classicsonline.

Gilbert Vinter was a British light music and brass banding composer whose works I really enjoyed playing with the Lewis Merthyr many moons ago. My favourite was always Spectrum with its colourful harmonies and jerky rhythms. Variations on a Ninth is wonderful, too, as is James Cook. We never played John O'Gaunt but it is good to listen to it. If I could now find a recording of Triumphant Rhapsody and Symphony of Marches my collection would be complete ! ( I know Fairey did one with Peter Parkes... )

ps ... Oh well - the joys of Vinter pass quickly so here I am up and showered and clothed and working on being in my right mind.

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