But spare my New York Phil, he said ... "

Yes, the British are coming, and Paul Revierowitz is in the saddle and at full gallop, as an armed band of two John Wilson and one Sir Simon Rattle recordings have appeared on the horizon.

I haven't heard the new Sir Simon Rattle recording of the two Beethoven violin concertos with Veronika Eberle on LSO Live, and neither has anybody else except reviewers, because it is to be released on the 24th of this month. Apparently, it has new cadenzas. Oh dear. But I have heard the John Wilson recording of Rachmaninov's Symphony and the playing, pace Mr Revierowitz, is very, very good indeed. Well may people fulminate that it's only a scratch orchestra, but Mr Wilson didn't just go down the boozer and rustle up a few fiddles and an ophicleide. Many of these are from the front desks of other orchestras, and believe me, it shows. Some beautiful sounds here.

The Sinfonia of London is about to start a national tour, and they are going to play film music. No, it won't be 'The Flintstones' signature tune, but I dare say Miklos Rosza and the like. Mr Wilson is doing this because (a) he respects the genre, and (b) because if he toured with Dutilleux and Korngold nobody would go, whereas with classic film scores, he should do very well.

Besides, a good deal of film music, or even Broadway music is Late Romantic in style. I have to say that bits of the Rachmaninov 3rd brought to mind "Only Make Believe" from 'Showboat'. Especially the bit that goes "Couldn’t you? Couldn’t I? Couldn’t we?".

Let us pass over with contempt the frequently heard opinion that because mr Wilson conducts film music - and Rogers and Hammerstein - he can't conduct anything else. John Williams conducts film music, and I'll bet the house he can conduct other stuff equally well. I'd certainly like to hear him conduct Mahler, for instance.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra