# SS 28.09.19 - Lloyd #8



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*George Lloyd (1913 - 1998)*

Symphony No. 8

1. Tranquillo - Allegro
2. Largo
3. Vivace
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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This week it's British composer George Lloyd's Eighth Symphony. I'm not familiar with George Lloyd and I've never heard this one before so I'm looking forward to hearing this one. I believe there are at least 2 recordings of this one out there but as usual with the hard to find ones I'll post a YouTube link which is also the version I will be listening too:













Edward Downes/Philharmonia Orchestra


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Thanks RDB. A new one on me too. I'll YT this week.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

To save the trouble of playing the movements individually, I've made a more convenient *YouTube playlist*.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I shall go with the version highlighted above by RDB and stream in via Spotify


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Is there another recording, other than Downes'?

This is a solid piece of music, I'll give it a re-listen.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

CnC Bartok said:


> Is there another recording, other than Downes'?
> 
> This is a solid piece of music, I'll give it a re-listen.


Yes, George Lloyd did recordings of all of his symphonies. Some were done with the Albany Symphony, others in the UK. Edward Downes recordings were very good and opened up the world of Lloyd's symphonies but the composer's recordings are better.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

I'll go with this one also


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

Haven't listened to #8 for a long long time. Must confess I don't even remember what it sounds like. For me there are two things that George Lloyd did in his symphonies, 1. Great melodies with great forward momentum, and 2. Replace the musicians with a herd of ducks quacking away. Now I feel eager to listen to it!


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Kiki said:


> Haven't listened to #8 for a long long time. Must confess I don't even remember what it sounds like. For me there are two things that George Lloyd did in his symphonies, 1. Great melodies with great forward momentum, and 2. Replace the musicians with a herd of ducks quacking away. Now I feel eager to listen to it!


After that description I have to listen to this


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

^ Oh don't get me wrong, I don't think George Lloyd made strange quacking sounds (also my apology to all the ducks in the world); just that his scherzo-like music often gives me an impression of a group of cute-looking ducks tumbling forward while quacking in unison. For example, in the Edward Downes recording, the brass in the first movement from around 4:30 onwards for 1½ mins or so; or in the Finale from around 10:28 onwards. Just my impression of his music that is in a happier mood... I suppose one may say penguins instead of ducks, but penguins don't quack like his brass, do they? (For a real quacking sound, look no further than Emmanuel Krivine's Beethoven 9 Finale! :lol


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

cougarjuno said:


> I'll go with this one also


Just listening this through spotify


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

This was enjoyable to listen to and well composed I thought. However, I'm struggling to remember any themes just an hour later.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I was all ready for disappointment – another minor-league British composer writing music to make a living without adding much to our lives. (Simpson, are you listening?*)

Imagine my surprise – a lively, imaginative symphony that managed to hold my attention from beginning to end! True, not a lot sticks in the memory after first hearing, but the music invites listening again, and familiarity will likely make the heart grow fonder.

A wonderful SS suggestion. I have queued up Lloyd’s 3rd, 5th, and 7th symphonies as well as his Cello Concerto and 3rd Piano Concerto for future listening.

*Doubtless quite unfair to Mr. Simpson, who had a comfortable living without writing music.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Quite a number of Lloyd's symphonies were written with no real expectation of performance (not that he didn't try). While he had was quite successful in the 1930s - 3 symphonies and 2 operas, all being well received - he had considerable travails during WW2 and suffered from severe PTSD due to his experiences in the Navy on convoy duty (he was invalided out.) He resumed composing in the late 40s and early 50s but was very much out of sympathy with the prevailing classical music world. The combination of bad experiences and deteriorating health cased him to retire to Dorset and start a market gardening business. While he continued composing, he only did it early in the morning before the real work! It wasn't until the mid 70s when John Ogden, Edward Downes and others started getting performances of his works that things changing. I remember being introduced to the Downes recordings of the 5th and 8th symphonies around 1981 by a friendly classical record store owner and I became 'hooked'!

Other works that I recommend are the 4th symphony (Arctic, written in the late 40's), the 10th for brass band ('November Journeys') and the 11th which particularly exemplifies his command of orchestration. I also think quite highly of his Symphonic Mass of 1994.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Nice documentary about George Lloyd here:

https://filmfreeway.com/1322927


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