Every so often a player appears who places the recorder back into the spotlight and unveils once again the diversity of music composed for the instrument. Piers Adams is the latest in a distinguished line.
Of the familiar works on this disc we have Sir Lennox Berkeley’s Sonatina, which is perhaps more frequently heard played on the flute (it was conceived for either) and which I confess to preferring. Adams doesn’t enlist a convert here but that’s not for any lack of musicianship on his part. Rubbra wrote a number of works featuring the recorder but his Meditazioni sopra ‘Coeurs desoles’ is perhaps the most frequently played. I have heard more shapely and expressive performances of this piece in the past, but in truth Adams isn’t helped here by a less than ideal balance between piano and solo instrument, particularly in the quieter opening section. York Bowen’s lush and romantic Sonata is another work that, to my mind, would be more suited to the flute; it is, however, an intriguing discovery none the less. The remaining works all have appeal and charm in their own way, but it was Norman Fulton’s tuneful and engaging Scottish Suite that delivered most enjoyment to these ears. The recorded sound is unfortunately rather short on atmosphere.'