(Choral and Orchestral Union of Glasgow). Leader, Reginald Whitehouse. Conductor, Warwick Braithwaite
From a concert hall in the North
'On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring 'is one of Delius's most perfect works. It is a miniature tone poem epitomising his style as a composer and his poetic approach to music. According to Philip Heseltine, 'It is based upon a twofold melody; the first part is Delius's own, a sequence of phrases that echo each 'other like distant cuckoo calls, the second is. derived from a Norwegian folk song "I Ola Dalom" (In Ola Valley) which is to be found harmonised by Grieg in his Opus 66.'