William Dowdall (flutes) Atoll ACD 111****

This new CD features works for flute (some also with electronics) written in Ireland and New Zealand between 1978 and 2010. It's framed by highly contrasting pieces. John Buckley's Constellationis a sensual orgy of flutiness, the flautist (who plays bass, alto and regular flutes as well as piccolo) mingling with a background of up to 12 pre-recorded flutes. A new version of Benjamin Dwyer's Ted Hughes-inspired Crow is for "sliding flute" (an instrument with a special head-joint that facilitates glissando) placed against a rumbling electronic background, with threatening whispers, thumps, and periodic cries. Eve de Castro-Robinson's strangely intimate Breathe is the other piece that stands out in a highly varied collection that includes works by James Wilson, Martin Lodge, Philip Hammond, Philip Martin, Raymond Deane, Michael Williams, Rhona Clarke, Stephen Ralph Matthews, Kevin O'Connell and Ian Wilson. See atollcd.com