AN ALBUM OF MILITARY BAND MUSIC. Hoist. Suite No. 1 in E flat. Bosse. Portia and Doge's March from "Merchant of Venice" Suite. Ansell. Three Irish Pictures. Wood. Three Dale Dances. Grenadier Guards Band conducted by Major F. J. Harris. Decca Eclipse ECS2035 Q ECM2035 (19s. 11d.).

This is a welcome reissue indeed, with some of the best military band writing of the earlier years of the century, and an outstanding bargain at the price. Holst's Suite No. 1 is still well known but the other three suites, and their composers, are shamefully neglected. All had the gift of melody, and were also fastidious musicians. The record was first released in mono in June 1958, when I commented on the excellence of both playing and recording. In March 1959 I was able to add that stereo added substantially to the quality of the sound. It is still very good, even by the standards of more than ten years later. As the sleeve does not say a word about either the composers or their music perhaps I had better say that the Wood of the Three Dale Dances is not Haydn Wood but another Yorkshireman of similar vintage, Arthur Wood. He wrote a lot of excellent music in the lighter vein, as did John Ansell, whom some of the older generation may remember for his music for a stage production of "The Young Visitors", the onetime famous book by Daisy Ashford.