David Lyon - Impulse

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1. Fantasia on a Nursery Song/Farnham Suite for Strings/Country Lanes/Concerto for Horn and Strings/Fairytale Suite/Overture to a Comic Opera/Waltz for Strings/Ballet for Orchestra
Michael Thompson (hn) Royal Ballet Sinfonia/David Lloyd-Jones
David Lyon: Orchestral Works (Marco Polo ‘British Light Music’ 8.225039)

BBC Music Magazine: ‘I admit to being bowled over by Lyon’s compositions, which are strongly melodic and superbly crafted. All these works are little gems and deserve to be much better known.’ Fairytale Suite: ‘bewitching and glittering..’ Farnham Suite: ‘enchanting, lyrical..’ Ballet for Orchestra: ‘energetic and attention-gripping’. David Lloyd-Jones ‘conducts...with great commitment and enthusiasm.’ (5 stars for performance, gold star for ‘outstanding quality’.)
British Music Society News: ‘..written with a brilliant ear for the orchestra and a fund of memorable invention’. The Horn Concerto ‘is clearly from the mainstream (of) delightful horn concertos by British composers written since the war.. gorgeous playing by the soloist. The slow movement’s lovely wide-spanning horn cantilena provides Michael Thompson every opportunity to show off his lovely burnished tone’ In Fantasia ‘Lyon establishes his own world..with entertaining parodies of various composers from Rossini to Stravinsky. The other pieces are all enjoyable, Overture to a Comic Opera particularly so’. Fairytale Suite has a ‘beautifully decorated’ Waltz written with an ‘expert ear for colour’, and the Finale ‘is a gorgeous romantic confection’. Ballet for Orchestra .. ‘a brilliant and engaging work for any concert programme, and one to return to on CD.’
The Gramophone: ‘Marco Polo’s British Light Music series...seems to have switched lately to more modern, and perhaps more ambitious exponents. Such is the case with David Lyon...Of the works for full orchestra perhaps the most melodic are the charming Country Lanes...and the delightful Fairytale Suite...There is also an intriguing set of variations on Nick Nack Paddiwack [Fantasia] ....the final Ballet impressively exploits the capabilities of the various sections of the orchestra.....a collection that may interest enthusiasts for more serious British music as well as the lighter kind...another feather in the cap of the excellent Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
Dance Expression Magazine: 'Ballet for Orchestra is a treat..Expressive in its rhythmic energy. I have no difficulty visualising shapes and steps..deserves to be discovered by professionals'.

2. Overture: Joie de Vivre
Royal Ballet Sinfonia/Gavin Sutherland
Brian Kay’s British Light Music Discoveries (ASV CD WHL 2113)

BBC Music Magazine: 'Joie de Vivre...has just that.'
The Gramophone: 'Ebullient ..as good as anything on the Marco Polo disc devoted to him.'

3. Intermezzo for Strings

The Gramophone: 'An enchanting collection...pure delight. Buy it!' (Editors Choice Dec 1999)
Classic CD: 'Worth a place in any English music collection.'
BMJ News: 'A most attractive and lovingly compiled disc...Intermezzo is a gem'.
Fanfare (US): 'Intermezzo has the same skilful naturalness as the music on his Marco Polo release.

4. Concertino for Recorder and Strings
John Turner/Royal Ballet Sinfonia/Gavin Sutherland
English Recorder Music (Olympia OCD 667)

The Gramophone: 'A colourful and exuberant collection. The invention...is consistently diverting...highly recommendable' (Editors Choice July 2000)
BMS News: 'Unreservedly recommended'
The Recorder Magazine: 'The Concertino...is a most engaging work, full of tunes that fit the recorder like a glove..totally unpretentious in its craftsmanship.'

5. Short Suite for Strings
Royal Ballet Sinfonia/David Lloyd-Jones
English String Miniatures (Naxos DDD 8.554186)

The Gramophone: 'A delightful collection. Marvellous value....Short Suite (has) a lovely serene Aria.
BMS News: 'David Lyon (is) an important voice in English light music..skill and imagination in abundance. Short Suite is thoroughly engaging, full of vivacity and colour, striking and twisting rhythms and generally novel and exciting harmonic writing.' The Aria is 'spellbindingly beautiful.'

6. Three Dances for Orchestra
Royal Ballet Sinfonia/Barry Wordsworth
British Light Music Discoveries 3 (ASV CD WHL 2128)

'Web Reviews: 'Outstandingly tuneful' 'Robust melody..full of the promise of adventure'.

7. Almost a Waltz
Verity Butler, clarinet and Gavin Sutherland, piano.
Clarinet Kaleidoscope Vol.2 (Campion Cameo 2058, British Composer Series)

CATALOGUE OF SELECTED WORKS
(*Published by Mozart Edition (GB) Ltd. All enquiries to the composer)

Full Orchestra:
Variations for Orchestra (3222/4331/4/Pno/Str) 20’
Piano Concerto in One Movement (3222/4231/3/Str) 15’
Overture: Burlesque (2222/4231/3/Hp/Str) 10’

Medium/Small Orchestra:
Ballet for Orchestra (2222/223/3/Str) 10’
Three Dances (2222/223/2-3/Hp/Str) 12’
*Overture: Joie de Vivre (2121/222/2-3/Str) 7’
*Divertimento for Small Orchestra (2121/223/2-3/Hp/Str) 12’
Fantasia on a Nursery Song (2121/223/34/Hp/Str) 7' (Goodmusic)
A Wiltshire Elegy (2222/220/3/Str) 16'
*Fairytale Suite (2121/222/2-3 inc. Celesta/Hp/Str) 14’
*Overture to a Comic Opera (2121/220/2/Str) 4’
*Adagio Serioso (2121/222/2/Hp/Str) 4’
Concerto for Chamber Orchestra (2222/220/1/Str) 15’
*Dance Prelude (2222/200/1/Hp/Str) 4’
*Country Lanes (2121/200/Hp/Str) 2’30’’
*Rondoletta (2121/200/Hp/Str) 3’
Concert Suite:Albert's Bridge (2222/223/3/Hp/Str) 15'

String Orchestra:
Concerto for Horn and Strings 15’
Serenade for String Orchestra 15’
*Intermezzo 3’
A Farnham Suite 7’30’’ (Goodmusic)
Concertino for Strings 10’
*Short Suite for Strings 12’
Concertino for Treble Recorder and Strings (or Piano) 10' (Forsyth)

Chamber:
String Quartet 1962 (Studio Music)
Three Miniatures, for Flute and Piano (Studio Music)
Little Suite, for Brass Trio (Studio Music)
Partita for Solo Horn (Warner/Chappell) /
Suite for Percussion
Hors d’Oeuvre for Wind Quintet
Duologue for Vln and Pno
Four Lyric Interludes for Clarinet and Piano, adapted from songs written for the Southwark Playhouse production of Blackbird by Claire Luckham.

Brass Band:
Rhapsodic Prelude - National Finals Test Piece 1984 (Chester) 10’
March: God’s Wonderful Railway (Fulcrum) 3’

Wind Band:
Songsuite (One movement in 6 sections). Flexible ensemble, med. difficulty 12’
The Waltzing Marionette. Full band, medium difficulty. 3’
A Nautical Fantasia for Wind Ensemble, commissioned by Classical Roadshow as a companion piece to The Battle of Trafalgar, and premiered in February 2005 at the Royal Naval College , Greenwich , by Trinity College Orchestra. This concert, featuring both works, was part of the Trafalgar bicentenary year celebrations, which also included a performance of Battle of Trafalgar at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Vocal:
An English Mass, for Soloists, Chorus, Organ and Percussion 20’
( ‘A work of original power and tenderness...wonderfully expressive
passages. The choral writing, varied and rewarding to sing, explores
a wide range of texture..the rhythmic language is piquant,
resourceful and, above all, effective.’ Victor Bainbridge)

The Dong A Youth Cantata for SAB, Soloists, Wind Quintet and ensemble.
A setting of The Dong with the Luminous Nose by Edward Lear. 20’
(‘A splendid piece...extraordinarily well laid out for the resources
available.. exciting to rehearse and perform.’ Hilary Davan Wetton)

Simon’s Magic Mountain, for junior choir and ensemble. 15’
Seven songs with narration or dramatised action, based on a
Cotswold folk legend. Words by Wes Magee.
God’s Grandeur, for tenor and piano. Five poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins. (‘Genuine feeling for the song medium’ D.Tel. ‘Fundamental musicality - holds the attention throughout’ Music and Musicians ‘Bold musical setting..keeps sound and sense clear in a melodiously declamatory vocal line..Spontaneous liveliness.’ The Guardian)

Three Spring Songs for a cappella SSAATTBB. 12’
Music, Zest of Celebration for SATB and pno, words by Paul Wigmore 5’
Song of the Travellers for SA and pno, words by Ed Baines 4’
A Dream for SSAA and pno, words by Ed Baines 4’
We Are One An ecological anthem for unison, 2, 3 or 4-part
chorus, pno,opt.bass/perc. Words by the composer 5’

Listen to the Bells, carol for SA and pno, words by the composer (Studio)
At Christmastime, in two versions: (a) for SA and pno (b) for Unison or
2-part junior voices and pno. Words by the composer (Studio)
Baby Boy, carol for 2-part junior voices and pno, words by Paul Wigmore

(Some short part songs etc. are not listed here. Details from the composer)

Audience Adventures:
Game: football variations for audience and orchestra (2121/211/3-4/Str)
Opt. narr. 15’
Recent performances by RLPO, BSO and London Mozart Players. Planned Nov. 2001: Scottish Opera Orchestra (Glasgow and Edinburgh).

The Battle of Trafalgar, for Narrator/Singer and Ensemble
(1111/1111/2/Db/ Opt.Str) Libretto by Teresa Collard. Audience songs,
optional chorus/dancers etc. Costumes and props available for hire. 30’
(‘Amazing and moving..a superb musical and theatrical event.’
Guildford Advertiser)

Fleetfoot the Fox, for Narrator, Chorus and Chamber Orchestra
(1111/1111/2/ Pno/Str) Story and lyrics by Ruth Milan. Audience songs. 40’
(Shorter version for reduced forces in preparation)
(‘Could hardly fail to excite the children’s imaginations.’ Guildford Advertiser)

Snakes and Ladders, for Narrator/Singer and small ensemble.
Team game for young audience, with songs. Devised and written
by Teresa Collard. Props available. (‘A brilliantly conceived idea..the
children were fully involved throughout.’ LEA report) 30’

Stage works:
The Reckoning: A ‘Musical Morality’ in 1 Act, based on ‘Everyman’ 60’ (‘Highly appealing...big tunes, crisp dynamics..an auspicious premiere.’
Coventry Ev.Tel. ‘Very exciting and imaginative...the audience leave the theatre still singing it .. A WINNER!’ Music Teacher)

Albert's Bridge. A musical adaptation in 2 Acts of the radio play by Tom Stoppard. Book and lyrics by ACH Smith. Produced by Shaftesbury Community Theatre Nov. 1999. 'Exceptionally clever music...strong tunes..crammed full of imaginative ideas. Certain to have a future.' (Blackmore Vale Magazine)

Blackbird: ten songs and incidental music for the new play by Claire Luckham. Southwark Playhouse, London, June 2003.
‘The innovative use of Lyon’s songs allows us a glimpse of the characters’ inner lives….a beguiling chamber opera’ (The Guardian)

‘Lyon’s music transforms the play into an extraordinary version of music theatre’ (Evening Standard)

‘Haunting….the songs make compelling, uneasy listening’ (the Times)

‘Beautiful’ (Metro)

‘Masterly’ (The Stage)

Doctor Love: Comic Opera in 2 Acts based on Moliere’s ‘L’amour Medecin’. Translated and adapted by ACH Smith. In preparation.
This work was premiered at the Tobacco factory Theatre, Bristol from July 29th to August 2nd 2008.

Further details of all the above works, plus tapes etc., available on request.