Madeleine Dring - Complete Works for Oboe (Nicholas Daniel)

Information

Composer: Madeleine Dring

1. Tango
2. Waltz
3. Italian Dance
4. Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Keyboard: I. Drammatico
5. Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Keyboard: II. Dialogues. Andante sostenuto
6. Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Keyboard: III. Allegro con brio
7. Danza Gaya
8. In the Still of the Night
9. My Heart is Like a Singing Bird
10. Three Piece Suite: I. Showpiece
11. Three Piece Suite: II. Romance
12. Three Piece Suite: III. Finale
13. Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano: I. Allegro con brio
14. Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano: II. Andante semplice
15. Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano: III. Allegro giocoso
16. Idyll
17. Sarabande
18. Polka

Nicholas Daniel, oboe

Adam Walker, flute

Amy Harman, bassoon

Antonio Oyarzábal, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Chandos

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Madeleine Dring (1923–1977), a London-born composer and actress, hailed from a theatrical family and trained at the Royal College of Music under notable teachers such as Herbert Howells and Vaughan Williams. Starting as a violinist, she shifted her focus to piano and composition, creating music primarily for theatre, BBC radio, and television. Though often compared to Gershwin, she never gained comparable fame, partly due to her reluctance to engage in self-promotion or program notes.

Dring composed catchy, event-specific works, contributing extensively to West End revues and shows during and after WWII, as well as for ITV’s “Play of the Week” and an opera that premiered posthumously. She married Roger Lord, principal oboist of the London Symphony Orchestra, for whom she composed many pieces. Despite a prolific output, much of her music—especially for television—has been lost or remains unpublished.

Her later years saw commissions for instrumental and chamber music, but she did not build a comprehensive archive of her works. Although her songs ranged from serious to light-hearted, only a fraction have been published. Today, her legacy endures through scattered recordings and instrumental arrangements, preserving her unique blend of theatrical and classical styles.

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