Orchid Classics
' 2020 release,
Not Now, Bernard and Other Stories
, is a collection of musical presentations of three children's books, a celebrated poem, and a pair of curiosities that defy easy categorization. Narrated by actor and comedian
Alexander Armstrong
, and performed by
Tom Hammond
and the
Orchestra of the Swan
, the selections abound with lively playing and vivid scene painting, which in most cases should entertain not only young children but the entire family. The settings of the children's books --
Not Now, Bernard
and
Isabel's Noisy Tummy
by
David McKee
, along with
The Knight Who Took All Day
James Mayhew
-- feature tuneful scores by
Bernard Hughes
, a composer with concert works and film scores to his credit, who has a special knack for illustrating these stories with humor in an eclectic array of styles.
John Ireland
's sentimental chamber treatment of
Edgar Allan Poe
's
Annabel Lee
introduces a poignant mood to this otherwise high-spirited album, and
Judith Weir
Thread!
, in which the narration is a translation of the Latin text woven along one edge of the Bayeux Tapestry, depicts the Norman conquest of England with a variety of strange yet evocative effects played by an octet. The sole purely instrumental piece,
Malcolm Arnold
Toy Symphony, Op. 62
, pits a small chamber group against an assortment of noisemakers, with results reminiscent of
Leopold Mozart
Toy Symphony
. A loosely programmed album with no heavy classics,
is delightful fare for kids and fans of British light music. ~ Blair Sanderson