JOHN MCEWEN (1868-1948): Viola Sonata in A Minor, Improvisations Provençales for Violin and Piano, Breath o' June for Viola and Piano, ARNOLD BAX (1883-1953): Viola Sonata, GORDON JACOB (1895-1984): Sonatina for Viola and Piano, ROBIN MILFORD (1903-1959): 4 Pieces for Viola and Piano, ALAN RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971): Viola Sonata, ELIZABETH MACONCHY (1907-1994): Viola Sonata, KENNETH LEIGHTON (1929-1988): Fantasia on the name BACH for Viola and Piano.

Description: Eight British works for viola and piano are joined by the longest and most interesting for late Romantic collectors - the violin/piano Improvisations of 1937, each of the six bearing a descriptive title in Occitan and running the gamut of emotions from grey and apprehensive to folk-like. Stylistically, this pair of discs covers a lot of ground but even those by Maconchy and Rawsthorne (both from 1935) fit into the approachable 20th century category with only the hints of Shostakovich in Leighton's 1955 Fantasia coming near to any sort of "modernity". 2 CDs. Louise Williams (viola, violin), David Owen Norris (piano).