Honey-Coloured Cow Laurence Perkins, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Carducci String Quartet & William Goodchild

• Michael Norris (b. 1934):
• 1 Norris: 3 Dances: No. 2, Tango 03:36
• Michael Head (1900 - 1976):
• 2 Head: 3 Fantastic Pieces: No. 1, Clouds 02:45
• Henri Sauguet (1901 - 1989):
• 3 Sauguet: Barcarolle 03:23
• Gordon Jacob (1895 - 1984):
• 4 Jacob: Suite for Bassoon and String Quartet: I. Prelude 02:44
• 5 Jacob: Suite for Bassoon and String Quartet: II. Caprice 01:27
• 6 Jacob: Suite for Bassoon and String Quartet: III. Elegy 03:04
• 7 Jacob: Suite for Bassoon and String Quartet: IV. Rondo 02:51
• Jean-Michel Damase (1928 - 1984):
• 8 Damase: Automne 02:59
• Thomas Simaku (b. 1958):
• 9 Simaku: Andante and Scherzo: I. Andante con moto 02:25
• 10 Simaku: Andante and Scherzo: II. Scherzo. Allegro giocoso 03:30
• Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958):
• 11 Holbrooke: 6 Pieces, Op. 23: No. 3, Souvenir 03:46
• Robin Walker (b. 1953):
• 12 Walker: Twilight 06:41
• Ruth Gipps (1921 - 1999):
• 13 Gipps: Honey-Coloured Cow, Op. 3d 02:35
• Vernon Elliott (1912 - 1996):
• 14 Elliott: Ivor the Engine Signature Tune 00:54
• Joseph Horovitz (1926 - 2022):
• 15 Horovitz: Rumpole of the Bailey 01:20
• Alan Ridout (1934 - 1996):
• 16 Ridout: Pigs, a Present for Gordon Jacob 01:58
• Laurence Perkins (b. 1954):
• 17 Perkins: Darkness at Derwentwater 04:12
• Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 - 1959):
• 18 Villa-Lobos: Ciranda das sete notas 12:47
• Total Runtime 01:02:57

Info for Honey-Coloured Cow

Laurence Perkins is not only an extremely accomplished bassoonist; he also has the enviable talent of devising memorable and attractive programmes (and album titles) for his instrument. His latest release 'Honey-coloured cow' charmingly delivers on all fronts. Perkins's bassoon expressively sings throughout an album covering a century of music, and if the occasional porcine grunt or plaintive moo intrudes-for example near the end of the Ruth Gipps piece which gives the album its title-humour is just one element in a programme exploring a wide range of moods, styles and accompanying forces. Contributions from harp, piano (John Flinders), string quartet, bassoon ensembles, and string orchestra (the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Goodchild) provide something to gladden the hearts of moosic-lovers everywhere

From TV theme tunes to a folk-inspired ‘circle dance on seven notes’ by Villa-Lobos, Laurence Perkins—aided by a wide variety of accompanists—presents another pleasing miscellany of composers and works (no fewer than fourteen of each) demonstrating the many moods and expressive potential of the bassoon.

I chose the name of the short, delightful piece by Ruth Gipps as the title for this album partly because the music that Gipps wrote illustrates the much-discussed aspect of humour and the bassoon in a tasteful and perceptive manner. Yes, it has a ‘moo’ in it, just as Alan Ridout’s Pigs contains a few grunts, but these are real pieces where the humour is simply an ingredient in music which is not primarily about creating cheap laughs at the expense of the instrument. The bassoon has such a wealth of characters and expressions (including humour), which I really hope this album demonstrates in its very wide range of moods and styles.

The programme here covers a century of music (the earliest is Holbrooke from 1906), much of it little known, including several first commercial recordings. Add these pieces to all the other wonderful bassoon repertoire from the eighteenth century to the present day which explores every aspect of the instrument, and we will be that much closer to an ‘equal amongst woodwinds’ perception of the bassoon which—even in the twenty-first century—is still surprisingly elusive. ...

Laurence Perkins, bassoon
Carducci String Quartet
John Flinders, piano
Amy Thompson, bassoon
Matthew Kitteringham, bassoon

No biography found.

Booklet for Honey-Coloured Cow