George Lloyd's opera The Serf was well received in 1938 but then fell into neglect. Despairing of a revival, the composer fashioned two orchestral suites, The Norman March from Act II and Prelude Act II which alongside the Overture for The Serf he published for independent performances in the 1980s. As you would expect from this great English composer, all three works are well-crafted, wonderful to perform and tuneful. George Lloyd who died in 1998 is mostly remembered for his 12 Symphonies, but his compositions include Opera, Choral, Concerto, Piano and Chamber Music. LNA approached GLS earlier in 2023 with a proposal that will see all of the music scores digitized and the entire record archive represented in new compilations, in both physical and digital formats. Going beyond the act of preservation the Trustees of LNA believe that George Lloyd's music is ripe for rediscovery by concert management and music lovers. George Lloyd's music, particularly his operas, won him great praise and popularity before WW2. But as broadcasting and concert life changed direction in the 1960s, his style, which is dramatic, large-scale, richly orchestrated unafraid of a big tune, fell out of favour. We believe that George Lloyd's time has come again and will use the combined resources of the Lyrita Nimbus Arts charity, and Lyrita label, together with the manufacturing, printing publishing and distribution arm of Nimbus Records to support this venture.
