John Hull

When Brit folk rock faves Lindisfarne split in 1973, co-founder Alan Hull forged a successful solo career with albums ‘Pipedream’ and ‘Squire’.By late 1977 the band was back in business but by then Hull was fronting new band, Radiator with former members of Snafu and Ginger Baker’s post-Cream group Airforce.With this line-up he would release Isn’t It Strange, the majority of which was repackaged in 1979 for Phantoms – both for Elton John’s Rocket Record Company.This first time CD reissue on Market Square compiles these albums (removing track duplication) and adding five bonus demos from 1975.

Cimarosa was an expert at writing lighthearted opera buffa that zipped along. Much of this music sounds very much like his better known IL Matrimonio Segreto, coming clearly out of the same stable, but it has its distinctive elements. Here the forces of the Festival Valle D'Itria come up with a sparkling production. The singing and the orchestra come across as excellent, the conductor Eric Hull keeping things moving with a light touch that keeps it all together. The singers keep the music zipping along, and when it turns more serious, Alla Simonischvili, the lead soprano, and the others handle it well. Well recorded, especially considering that apparently we have some sort of mixture of only two straight-through live performances, and well performed this set offers a good deal of pleasure.