If ever there were a composer and conductor ideally suited to each other, it is William Walton and John Wilson.

The latter has made many recordings for Chandos with his virtuoso orchestra the Sinfonia of London, using players drawn from the best freelancers and the section leaders of Britain’s leading permanent ensembles.

The conductor’s new Walton series, of which this is the second instalment, serves to confirm how well his vibrant approach and the orchestra’s brilliant sheen serve the late English composer’s music. We hear it right from the opening bars of the bouncy Scapino Overture (1940, rev. 1950).

This program brings together works from Walton’s maturity, and one of his late masterpieces. To deal with the latter first: By the 1950s and ‘60s, Walton’s productivity had slowed. He never finished a commission on time, and while his older music was still enjoyed, his new work was condemned for not moving with the times. Particularly, his Symphony No. 2 and Cello Concerto were initially regarded as weak. Since then, both have been recorded many times and their...