The long-neglected British composer Havergal Brian (1876–1972) is gradually coming in from the cold, with recordings on Naxos, Dutton, Testament and now Toccata Classics. Self-taught, from a working-class family in Stoke-on Trent, he shot to fame when Henry Wood discovered him for the 1907 Proms, but he remained an outsider to the British musical establishment, and is as much known for his creative persistence in the face of utter neglect as for the extremely serious and ambitious works that he produced.

His copious output famously includes 32 symphonies, begun when he was in his mid-forties and continued at a constant rate well into his 90s. The first of these works, the famous Gothic Symphony, was performed at the Proms in 2011.

Not so well know is the fact that Brian also composed five operas, none of which has as yet been professionally staged, yet these works contain much impressive orchestral music. This CD presents orchestral movements from four of them.

The Symphonic Variations on ‘Has Anybody here Seen Kelly?’ from Brian’s anti-war satire 'The Tigers' takes the famous music-hall song and puts it through kaleidoscopic symphonic development.

The most generous selection of music here comes from Brian’s opera Turandot (a third version, to set alongside Puccini’s and Busoni’s): the Three Pieces Brian himself excerpted and the Turandot Suite prepared by the Brian expert Malcolm MacDonald, who also provides the extensive booklet notes.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading orchestras and enjoys an enviable position as a cultural flagship for the BBC and for Scotland. It is the only Scottish orchestra to win the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for best orchestra, and its commercial recordings have received a number of prizes, including four Gramophone Awards.

This is the second CD in a pair recorded for Toccata Classics by Garry Walker and the BBC Scottish Symphony. Volume One (TOCC 0110) enjoyed widespread press acclaim:
‘I consider this a very special disc’ - Nick Barnard, MusicWeb

‘the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is in good form, and Garry Walker is alive to the fluid pacing these pieces require. There is never any loss to the forward pulse in the almost manic fluctuations in character of these works [.…] Toccata Classics deserves a round of applause for championing Brian’s orchestral music […].’ - Barry Brenesal, Fanfare

First recordings of:
- Three Pieces from ‘Turandot’
- Faust: Night Ride of Faust and Mephistopheles
- The Cenci: Preludio tragico
- A Turandot Suite (arr. Malcolm MacDonald)