English String Miniatures Vol 2

"Between Muzak and much of what now passes for classical radio, we've made music far too enveloping - and bland - an accompaniment to life. But, there's room for music actually meant for easy listening, and this collection provides an easygoing 69 minutes worth. Imagine yourself sipping tea in an English garden on a lovely spring afternoon and you¡|ll be right in tune...most of the fare here is little known. Vaughan Williams' Charterhouse Suite is a real find, but suites by Haydn Wood and Geoffrey Bush are charmers too. Performances are attentive and expressive and the sound is fine."
- Dallas Morning News (Scott Cantrell) May 6, 2001

"...They are splendidly played by the excellent English Northern Philharmonia and are lovingly portrayed by its talented conductor. Naxos moreover offers sound of exceptional clarity, balance, and presence. At its love asking price this is hard to beat and easy to recommend."
- American Record Guide(John C Mckelvey) July/August 2001




The English Northern Philharmonia is the resident orchestra of Opera North and since its formation in 1978 has established itself as one of England's leading operatic orchestras. In addition to playing for all the company's performances in Leeds and on tour, the orchestra enjoys an independent existence as a symphony orchestra, giving concerts throughout Yorkshire and in the surrounding area. Performances have involved collaboration with distinguished visiting conductors, as well as with the founder-conductor of the orchestra, David Lloyd-Jones, and with Paul Daniel, who became Music Director and Principal Conductor in 1990. In addition to operatic repertoire, the orchestra offers considerable variety in its concert programmes. It is the resident orchestra of the Oldham Walton Festival and enjoys a close relationship with the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. Recordings for a number of companies have brought a new relationship with Naxos, with a series devoted to the music of Walton and recordings of works by Vaughan Williams, Delius and Arthur Bliss.

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David Lloyd-Jones began his professional career in 1959 on the music staff of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and soon became much in demand as a freelance conductor for orchestral and choral concerts, BBC broadcasts and TV studio opera productions. He has appeared at the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera and the Wexford, Cheltenham, Edinburgh and Leeds Festivals. In 1972 he was appointed Assistant Music Director at the English National Opera and during his time in that position conducted an extensive repertory which included the first British performance of Prokofiev's War and Peace. In 1978, on the invitation of the Arts Council of Great Britain, he founded a new full-time opera company, Opera North, with its new orchestra, the English Northern Philharmonia, of which he became Artistic Director. During his twelve seasons with the company he conducted fifty different new productions, including The Trojans, Die Meistersinger and the British stage première of Strauss' Daphne, as well as numerous orchestral concerts, including festival appearances in France and Germany. He has made a number of very successful recordings of British and Russian music and has a busy career as a conductor in the concert-hall and the opera-house that has taken him to leading musical centres throughout Europe and the Americas.