Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Dr Arthur Wills was director of music at Ely Cathedral until 1990 and is a prolific composer. Robert Crowley studied with Wills at the RAM and has recorded this second CD of his organ music on the recently rebuilt cathedral organ at Ely. The recording is issued by Lammas, which is headed by Lance Andrews who was a chorister at Ely in the early 1950s when Dr Wills was assistant organist. Your reviewer is fond of Ely Cathedral but is sorry to say that he found little to enjoy on this recording. The organ sounds fine and the technical details included in the booklet will be of interest to all organ buffs. The playing is more than competent too. The problem for me lies in the music. I realise that what I am saying is subjective but one can only write what one thinks. The sequence "Icons" that opens the collection went nowhere and the "Lullaby For A Royal Prince" was, appropriately enough, soporific. "Symphony Bhagavid Gita" sounds like Messiaen which is fine by me but I do not think it as good as Messiaen. I did enjoy the closing "Homage To Howells" and "Diptyque" but this was too little too late. 

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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