CD of the Month: Oboe Sonatas

Oboe Sonatas | Catherine Tanner Williams

Catherine Tanner Williams – Oboe, Christopher Williams – Piano

Willowhayne Records WHR063

The album combines music from three composers: Arnold Cooke, Richard Elfyn Jones, and Catherine Tanner Williams herself. Each linked by the premiering of each other’s works; in 1973 Elfyn Jones premiered Cooke’s Organ Sonata No.1 and in 2019 Tanner Williams premiered Cooke’s Oboe Sonata.

Three world premiere recordings feature within the album, Richard Elfyn Jones’ Spanish flavoured Oboe Sonata – ‘Viva Altea’ as well as two of Tanner Williams’ compositions; ‘Luminous’ and ‘Darkness Falling with Birdsong’.

Though the British Library does list radio broadcast recordings of Arnold Cooke’s Oboe Sonatas played by Evelyn Rothwell and Sarah Francis from the late 1980’s, no recording have been commercially available until this album.

“The ensemble playing between both players is extremely good…both musicians also shine individually…Catherine’s singing oboe tone, good control of high notes and rich sounding lower register stand out…lovely natural and balanced concert hall feel” Sarah Roper, Double Reed News

Available to purchase in our London Showroom and on our website; https://www.howarth.uk.com/textsearch.aspx?what=Oboe+Sonatas+Willowhayne