Honey-coloured cow | Hyperion Records
- William Goodchild Music
- May 1
- 2 min read
Updated: May 2
Album Release: Friday 2nd May 2025
Laurence Perkins | Bassoon
John Flinders | Piano
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
William Goodchild | Conductor
Carducci String Quartet
Catriona McDermid, Matthew Kitteringham, Amy Thomson | Bassoons
Eira Lynn Jones | Harp
An album recording project for Hyperion Records, devised and performed by bassoon soloist Laurence Perkins
It is always a great joy to work with bassoonist Laurence, and this project - following hot on the heels from Laurence’s previous Hyperion album, Voyage of a Sea-god - was no exception. It was a particular pleasure to conduct the CBSO in a stunning work by South American composer Heitor Villa-Lobos called, Ciranda das sete notas (Circle dance on seven notes). Ciranda is a game that is popular particularly amongst children, with its origins in Brazilian folklore. Villa-Lobos dedicates the score to ‘Mindinha’ – Arminda Neves d’Almeida, whom the composer married in 1936. The last section of Ciranda is so lyrical and beautiful, and no doubt reflects the love Villa-Lobos felt for his Mindinha. You can listen to Ciranda das sete notas by purchasing the CD or by streaming the album. William Goodchild
About Honey-coloured cow
I chose the name of the short, delightful piece by Ruth Gipps as the title for this album partly because the music that Gipps wrote illustrates the much-discussed aspect of humour and the bassoon in a tasteful and perceptive manner. Yes, it has a ‘moo’ in it, just as Alan Ridout’s Pigs contains a few grunts, but these are real pieces where the humour is simply an ingredient in music which is not primarily about creating cheap laughs at the expense of the instrument. The bassoon has such a wealth of characters and expressions (including humour), which I really hope this album demonstrates in its very wide range of moods and styles.
The programme here covers a century of music (the earliest is Holbrooke from 1906), much of it little known, including several first commercial recordings. Add these pieces to all the other wonderful bassoon repertoire from the eighteenth century to the present day which explores every aspect of the instrument, and we will be that much closer to an ‘equal amongst woodwinds’ perception of the bassoon which—even in the twenty-first century—is still surprisingly elusive. Laurence Perkins
Purchase / Stream the Album
Album Launch Concert and Reception
To celebrate the album’s release, Laurence gave a wonderful live concert and reception. Family, friends and colleagues attended the event, which was held at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury, London on Friday 25th April 2025.
