Various: O Duo (Champs Hill Records Audio CD)

'O Duo' are Owen Gunnell and Oliver Cox, two percussionists who bring their eclectic and charistmatic approach to the music on this CD. Well-known pieces such as Chopin!s Fantasie-Impromptu with its glorious central melody and the textual clarity of Bach!s music are juxtaposed with contemporary composers such as the Japanese composer Miki's Marimba Spiritual. There are other contrasting pieces for example Mendelssohn!s Fugue No. 4 in F minor from 1834 and Ter Veldhuis! Goldrush written in 1995.

Among the pieces on the CD are two written especially for the pair. McNeff!s Baristas of which the composer writes, “You only have to see a crack team of coffee-makers to appreciate the comparison in speed, dexterity and - most importantly – sound.” Also Joliffe!s Knock About which was inspired by people
casually kicking around a football and of which the composer writes, “At its centre is one simple rhythm, but this is hidden by really fast music, which O Duo manage to pull off with their usual flair.”