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Living Britain is a major natural history series commissioned as part of the BBC's Millennium programming. To support the beautiful images of Britain's green and pleasant land, Brian Bennett (who previously scored the BBC's Nomads Of The Wind) has written an equally beautiful orchestral score akin to a modern pastoral symphony. The early cues engender a feeling of awakening, the dawn of a new day full of hope. As the score develops, the music gains a busy and complex texture, which maintains a flowing musical picture of the changing seasons. ‘Hebredian Landscape’ introduces a more solemn, grand image of the islands. The score captures the diversity of the British landscape and its highly important wildlife. There are some fabulous diversions, like the march-like ‘A Day At The Seaside’ and the fanciful flute cue ‘Man And Nature’. The music on the whole is very like the British countryside, rolling, pleasant and very interesting. While perhaps lacking the pace of Christopher Gunning's ‘Yorkshire Glory’, Living Britain has a gentle, soothing rhythm that leaves the listener knowing all is well in the world. As an orchestral work as well as a score, Living Britain is a moving piece and thoroughly enjoyable.

Review by Andrew Keech

KEY:
MMMMM : CLASSIC
MMMM : EXCELLENT
MMM : RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
MM : POOR
M : BAD

(Reprinted by kind permission)

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