Scottish Gems Played By One Of Scotlands Best. 5 June, 2001

Murray Mclachlan's dedication and passion for rare and neglected piano music shines through this superb disc. Music by three of Scotland's finest composers. Frances George Scott's Eight Songs transcribed by Ronald Stevenson are lyrical minitures that are full of witt charm and lyricism. Ronald Center's Piano sonata deserves to be in the collection of every pianist/lover of piano music.

McLachlan's faultless technique is on full show in all of its four movements. Finally Ronald Stevenson, 'Beltane Bonfire' a commisioned test piece (and a real test it is too) for the First Scottish International Piano Competition 1990. Listen carefully at the end of the piece the performer is asked by the composer to pluck the strings of the piano, once with the flesh of the finger and again with the nail. Superb. A fantastic disc well worth finding. The evidence is here that Scotland has, does and will continue to produce great composers and performers

Reviewer: (stephen.piano@virgin.net) from Dundee, Scotland