SOMM Recordings is delighted to release Hail Caledonia – Scotland in Music, a musical salute to their homeland by conductor Iain Sutherland and the City of Glasgow Philharmonic Orchestra.
Recorded live in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall in 1995-96 and newly re-mastered, these vivacious performances also feature the City of Glasgow Pipe Band, City of Glasgow Chorus, and bagpipers David Wotherspoon and Iain McDonald. Sutherland provides brilliant orchestral arrangements of The Black Bear Salute, reputedly the British army’s fastest regimental march, and the timeless Amazing Grace, together with his own colourful Three Scottish Castles Suite.
Roy Williamson’s anthemic Flower of Scotland is heard alongside Robert Docker’s Abbey’s Craig, better known as Scots Wha Hae, and Granville Bantock’s luscious treatment of a traditional Scottish waulking song, Kishmul’s Galley. Also featured is Mendelssohn’s lively Scherzo, fuelled by a traditional ‘Scotch snap’, from his Scottish Symphony and Malcolm Arnold’s wonderfully realised Four Scottish Dances.
Music by Granville Bantock, Eric Coates, Ernest Tomlinson and Alexander McKenzie is heard alongside the theme tunes to two hugely popular Scottish television dramas, Hamish McCunn’s Land of the Mountain and the Flood, theme to Sutherland’s Law, and Arthur Blake’s Take the High Road. And to end, the infectious Devil’s Finale/Reel o’ Tulloch from Ian Whyte’s ballet score Donald of the Burthens.
The result is a glorious musical celebration of the Saltire and the tartan, with informative booklet notes by Robert Matthew-Walker.
Iain Sutherland’s previous SOMM releases include two volumes of Great Classic Film Music, the first a Classic FM Album of the Week (Ariadne 5006/5009), Musical Opinion’s “fully recommended” Leonard Bernstein: Broadway to Hollywood (Ariadne 5002), the enthusiastically received Favourite Orchestral Classics (Ariadne 5012) and In London Town (SOMMCD 0117), which MusicWeb International hailed for its “sparkling performances of some of the cream of light music”.
On This Recording
- The Black Bear Salute arr. Iain Sutherland a
- Abbey Craig (Scots Wha Hae)
- Cumberland Square (My love She's but a lassie yet/Cock o' the North)
- Elizabeth of Glamis (Springtime in Angus)
- Symphony No.3, 'Scottish' - Scherzo
- Take the High Road Theme
- Sutherland's Law Theme (Land of the Mountain and the Flood arr. Iain Sutherland)
- Faery Dance Reel
- Stirling Castle: Gateway to the Highlands
- Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye
- Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street
- Benedictus
- Kishmul's Galley
- Strathspey
- Reel
- Hebrides
- Highland Fling
- Flower of Scotland arr. Ian Sutherland ab
- Amazing Grace c
- Davil's Finale/Reel o' Tulloch (from Donald of the Burthens) d
Robert Docker (1918-92)
Ernest Tomlinson (1924-2015)
Eric Coates (1886-1957)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47)
Arthur Blake (1925-94)
Hamish McCunn (1868-1916)
Robert Docker
Iain Sutherland (b.1936)
Three Scottish Castles
Alexander McKenzie (1847-1935)
Granville Bantock (1868-1946)
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)
Four Scottish Dances
Roy Williamson (1936-90)
Trad. arr. Iain Sutherland
Ian Whyte (1901-60)
City of Glasgow Philharmonic Orchestra, Iain Sutherland conductor
a City of Glasgow Pipe Band
b City of Glasgow Chorus
c David Wotherspoon, pipes
d Iain McDonald, pipes
Reviews:
“a fresh remastering by the admirable Paul Arden-Taylor of live radio transmissions… The album is enhanced by some top-notch booklet notes from Robert Matthew-Walker… one more very collectable album from this label, with the 1936-vintage Maestro in customary fine form as conductor, arranger and composer.” —Peter Burt, London Light Music
