Mercadante/ Gallois/ Sinfonia Finlandia - Flute Concertos Nos 1 2 & 4Saverio Mercadante was one of Italy's ground breaking composers in the development of opera, admired by contemporaries such as Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi. But during the years 1814 to 1820, inspired by fellow conservatoire students and their virtuoso teachers, he embarked on a series of works for the flute. They include seven concertos, happy exceptions to the rule in opera obsessed Italy of the day. The solo writing is vividly

Episodes from the comically oversized minds of Mike Barker

Yuki Takao's Hexentanz (Macdowell)

and his music has been played throughout the world by leading orchestras

They have also added two brand new original tracks to the mix ("Jack The Bass" and "The Pressure") written in the spirit of the early years in mind

It was taken by Frank Perry in the early days of the Corona Virus quarantine back in March

These beats are joints I had laying around that were never used

but has assumed an important role in wind and brass bands

The theme of passing time is placed in a nocturnal setting in the three Poèmes de l'aube et de la nuit (Poems of the Dawn and the Night)

Blind Willie MC Tell and Vulfpeck closer to centre stage at times

Clarinet Concerto and Concert Piece are more than stopgaps

From it's opening spectral assault to it's achingly poignant conclusion - as well as a witty depiction of afterlife bureaucracy in the vein of Beetlejuice and A Matter of Life and Death - A Ghost Waits has shocked and surprised audiences around the world

Risen once more with the blood of ages coursing through his veins