“… Bennett could not have wished for a more devoted champion than John Wilson (the dedicatee of Reflections on a Sixteenth Century Tune), whose love and True Believer’s enthusiasm is blazingly obvious in every bar. The BBC Scottish Symphony plays magnificently and the Chandos recorded sound is predictably superb. While clearly not for all tastes, this is a valuable addition to an already distinguished series.”

“Wilson reveals the other side of a British film composer… The performances and recording are superb …” ***

Performance ***     Recording ****

“… John Wilson and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra dispatch it with care and virtuosity. They dazzle, too, in the later Zodiac, a brilliantly diverse kaleidoscope shaped with the directness and economy of someone well-practised in writing for films …”

“… John Wilson is thoroughly identified with this lively and attractive music and the BBC Scottish SO also sound as if they enjoy playing it. Sarah Connolly seemed to me to catch the tone of the songs admirably. The recording, which I listened to in two-track stereo, is clean and clear and not too resonant…”

“As each instalment of John Wilson’s recorded tribute to his friend and mentor Richard Rodney Bennett is revealed, the realisation (to those of us who didn’t already know) tha this extraordinarily complete musician could do absolutely anything more and more apparent. This third volume showcases a piece dedicated to Wilson himself and might well be the reason I return to it again and again. Reflection on a Sixteenth Century Tune is Bennett’s Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis and was inspired by what Bennett called Wilson’s ‘way with strings’ … It’s the most ‘composerly’ music imaginable and feels effortless, though Bennett insisted it wasn’t – and it’s beautifully played by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, who clearly understand what it means to the conductor…”

“Fluttering, delicate, steely, playful and mercurial.”

“… The performances here enshrined are consistent in quality, understanding and commitment. Chandos could not have chosen a conductor more in-tune with Bennett’s wide-ranging qualities than Wilson – himself the dedicatee of Reflections on a Sixteenth-Century Tune… well-worth seeking out, for the rewards are invariably positive and worthwhile. After more than sixty years of admiring this wholly exceptional musician (sometimes enviously), I welcome unreservedly the success and achievement of this eminent project. Chandos’s presentation is fully worthy of the musical achievement, the booklet cover reproducing a collage by Bennett himself, and the superb booklet notes by Richard Bratby are a model of what knowledgeable and informative accompanying texts should be."   *****