Both these new collections of Elgar's music are presented in brilliant digital recordings, extremely wide ranging with remarkable detail at piano and mezzo forte levels. The bass is firm and full, yet never loses focus. Many will immediately respond to the brilliance and sheer impact of the sound in Gibson's collection of overtures. It is an obviously faithful picture of the Scottish orchestra, with its bold brass, responsive woodwind and strings which—at least within the recorded ambience—sound a little lacking in body. As is demonstrated by Cockaigne (which Gibson recorded in 1978 for RCA—GL25450, 6/83), his Elgar readings are maturing yet they remain essentially direct rather than romantic. The picture of London is full of bustle and pageantry—the sequence of the band in the park has never sounded more resplendent—and the closing pages have an overwhelming impact. But the upper range of the sound has that hint of shrillness that is apparent on so many digital recordings, and as the chrome tape tempers this a little (without loss of bite and detail) and is no less impressive in the bass, I prefer tape to disc; indeed, the cassette is a demonstration of first-class transferring techniques. Measured against Barbirolli's recording, which is my favourite (HMV ESD7169, 9/82), Gibson's version of Cockaigne lacks a feeling of ripeness, while In the South inevitably invites comparison with the superb Silvestri version (ESD7012, 10/76), a performance with an exhilarating forward sweep that is irresistible. Gibson's reading does not lack impetus and power and indeed the section conjuring up the ''relentless and domineering force of the ancient day'' has an overwhelming force and impact. Yet the lovely 'moonlight' sequence found a tenderness of response under Silvestri that Gibson does not quite match in spite of sympathetic orchestral playing. Froissart goes well; a direct approach works here when the sound is so spectacular, and the arrangement of the Handel is effective.
Turning to Bryden Thomson's record of Elgar's children's music one immediately notices a more flattering ambience, indeed an ideal one for this music, which gives an intimate, chamber-orchestral effect in the gently nostalgic pieces, yet produces admirable vividness and detail when the music becomes more extrovert. This combination of sparkle and ambient warmth compensates for some lack of richness in the upper strings, which the ear is drawn to notice when making a direct comparison with Boult's LPO/HMV disc, which still sounds extremely well. The chosen tempos of both conductors are remarkably alike, although Boult finds a shade more momentum for the faster pieces. In the ''March'' which opens the second Wand of Youth suite the effect under Thomson is more solemn, not unattractively so, but Boult scores with an extra projection of orchestral virtuosity in the scherzando ''Moths and butterflies'', and his ''Wild bears'' has an exuberance which Thomson does not quite match. Yet in movements like the ''Sun dance'', ''Fairy pipers'' and ''Slumber dance'', which show Elgar's imagination at its most magical, the Ulster Orchestra play very beautifully and the music-making engagingly combines refinement and warmth. What makes this Chandos record especially attractive is the apt couplings (Boult pairs both Wand of Youth suites with the Chansons and Bavarian Dances). The Ulster performance of the complete Nursery Suite leaves little to be desired; ''The Wagon passes'', for instance, is especially memorable and there are many touches of detail elsewhere which show the conductor's thoughtfulness and affection. Here, while the chrome cassette matches the LP in ambient bloom, it makes the upper strings sound thinner, and the disc is marginally preferable.'