Some of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ most imposing and important music for solo instruments can be heard in his cycle of ten Strathclyde Concertos, composed for, and premièred by the soloists of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The ingeniously structured Seventh Concerto, for double bass, is both tense and haunting. The more conventionally laid out Eighth Concerto, for bassoon, is by turns playful and lyrical, and features an important rôle for timpani. A Spell for Green Corn was written to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the SCO and Maxwell Davies’ 60th birthday.

This disc is another of the ex-Collins CD releases, on which label the Strathclyde Concertos were originally released. It captures the dedicatees and first performers of the Concertos, the body of which comprises Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ most important contribution to the solo instrument. There is much imaginative scoring, and many memorable incidents.

Universally acknowledged as one of the foremost composers of our time, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies has made a significant contribution to musical history through his wide-ranging and prolific output. He lives in the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland, where he writes most of his music.