Romance and Reverie commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Holst (1874–1934) with a program of new arrangements and premiere recordings. 

In addition to her performances, violinist Hannah Roper is responsible for arranging Holst’s Invocation (1911, cello and small orchestra) and Lyric Movement (1933, viola and small orchestra, written originally for the famous violist Lionel Tertis) for violin and piano. The other fascinating arrangement in this program is The Lark Ascending by Holst’s friend of four decades, Ralph Vaughan Williams, reconfigured by Valeria Clarke for the stripped back but quite beguiling combination of violin and harp. 

Of particular interest, however, is the material by Holst’s contemporaries, including Midsummer Moon by Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979), a sparkling work in which violin and piano dart around each other evocatively, sitting very comfortably alongside The Lark Ascending. Other highlights include premiere recordings of Four English Sketches, a Revery and a Romance by the prodigiously talented...