Sinfonietta (1946)
Fantasia on an Old Staffordshire Tune for Violin and Orchestra (1950)
Lyric Waltz for String Orchestra (1988)
Bucolics: Folk Songs Studies
Concerto Lirico for Violin and Orchestra (1958)
Epitaph for String Orchestra (1981)

All first recordings except for the Concerto Lirico

Just like the old story of the educated city slicker who, whilst changing a flat tire along a country road, accidentally dropped all of the wheel nuts into the ditch and stood despondent next to his car, not knowing what to do next, until a farmer coming up the road on his tractor who noticed what had just happened simply said: "Attach one nut from each of the other wheels and that should hold you until you get home". Sometimes it's the unsophisticated small village handymen, tinkerers and farmers who come up with simple, logical solutions and do the best work.

The liner notes of this CD point out: "Thomas Pitfield was a polymath: artist, bookbinder, cabinet-maker, calligrapher, cartoonist, composer, designer, poet, printmaker and more. He brought to his compositions the same skill and craftsmanship as to his other activities, but during his long lifetime his personal modesty impeded a general awareness of his achievements. Pitfield's fondness for folk-music sites his music within the broad tradition of English pastoralism established by Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Howells and others - though a touch of steel can occasionally be heard behind the lyricism.

Although he spent a short period of time studying piano, cello and harmony at the Royal Manchester College of Music, Thomas Pitfield (1903-1999) was basically an autodidact composer. But unlike highly educated, conservatory trained musicians who can't express a simple sentiment through music, Pitfield's music has a folksy, bucolic and convivial character aimed at the listener. The booklet notes denote that: "Many of the works in his substantial output are collections of miniatures, often written for children or amateurs, for whom he seemed to compose with an innate understanding of their capabilities. Larger works include a five-movement Sinfonietta, written at the request of Sir John Barbirolli for the Hallé Orchestra." But aside from this and a few other commissions, his music is unjustly overlooked and rarely performed when compared to other British composers of his generation.

His music is imbued with a generally morose character so typical of the British Isles, but then again that's exactly how it evokes vivid imagery of a windswept countryside which pulls you in. So once again, to all the collectors out there who bemoan the fact that there isn't much left in the way of new music to explore, Toccata Classics offers up something quite convincing to the contrary.