Septura head homeward, with a recording of British music from the first half of the 20th century – a golden age in England’s otherwise chequered compositional history, and a period in which brass instruments, in the form of the brass band, established their place at the very heart of British musical culture. From the many composers of the period whose music endures we have chosen four of the finest: iconic works by Elgar, Parry, Finzi and Walton, re-imagined for the unique sound of the brass septet.

Vol.5 (8573619), featuring works by Fauré, Ravel and Debussy, is an AllMusic.com Editor’s Choice: “This fifth volume is one of the strongest, filled with songs and orchestral pieces that one would not immediately associate with a brass ensemble, and the fun is in seeing how the arrangers do it.”

Septura’s members are the leading players of the new generation of British brass musicians, holding principal positions in the London Symphony, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Basel Symphony and Aurora orchestras.