Music For String Orchesra: Guildhall Strings

Armstrong Gibbs composed extraordinarily comfortable music. His conservative and well-bred upbringing is reflected in his compositions. Unlike the comparitively turbulent work of his close friend and teacher, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gibbs produced smooth works of pastoral beauty.
His euphonic esthetic is further emphasized on this CD by the fact that all the works were written for string orchestra. The music is sweeping, melodic and for the most part, peaceful. The strings provide a rich mellow tone and a subtle mood, usually somewhere between merry and nostalgic. The title piece, 'Dale and Fell,' is evocative of a meadow in spring. Although Gibbs does not mention specific places in his titles, the countryside was always an important inspiration.
The Guildhall Strings, directed by Robert Salter, imbue the music with a wholesome spirit in keeping with Gibbs' prevailing themes. The sweet, innocence of the music is artfully captured in this recording, and the album will capture the imagination of listeners everywhere.