The finale is characterised by those grand, stabbing and abrasive horns in full flight and hunting clamour. The Sights and Sound suite - entitled an 'orchestral entertainment' is the lighter of the two pieces. It is more a dashing concerto for orchestra - a work alive with the chaotic collage spirit of a child's colouring book. It seems a natural counterpart to the John Alden Carpenter works like Krazy Kat , Skyscraper and Adventures in a Perambulator . A slightly jazzy atmosphere crosses its pages but not suffocatingly so.
Nothing is tough to take on.
As a series of contemporary sketches it is more successful than George Lloyd's similarly themed 1960s collage Charade . Another voice is that of Vaughan Williams and he also glances out through the pages of the symphony. Great notes by Bennett biographer George J Ferencz. A valuable collection with plenty to enjoy. In fact, all in all, quite a revelatory disc - a jewel in the Naxos crown.