American Record Guide – April 2012
“The Recorder Concerto (which sounds as if it could be played by a full string section as well as by a string quartet) is a lovely and lively piece that explores the colors of the whole family of recorders and seems to lie in resonant ranges of all the instruments, including the bass recorder.”
Music Web by Jonathan Woolf – Aug 2011
“Dick Blackford, born in 1936. His Concerto for recorder and string quartet is a buoyant, uplifting experience – totally unpretentious but well crafted for the forces. It too has strong baroque cadences, and mines a rich lyrical seam. The third and fourth movements are the longest – the latter is an exciting Allegro vivace but things come together in the Lento postlude with its reflective nostalgia and the return of baroque motifs to complete the circle.”
Organists Review by Rebecca Tavener – Feb 2009
“The unnaccompanied ‘Jesus was his name’ with both words and music by Dick Blackford has all the depth and tenderness that one might wish for. Marked slow dance; this lilting evocation of a rocking cradle is richly beguiling without the application of schmaltz. Occasional divisi in the upper two parts adds colour without guilding the lilly and the whole evinces careful craftsmanship from a composer that understands that ‘less is more'”
York Evening Press by Martin Dreyer – 21/01/2009
“Mark Crooks the dedicatee of Dick Blackford’s Clarinet Concerto (1987) returned as soloist. He enjoys a flourishing career, largely based around the London jazz world, so his syncopation skills served him especially well in the work’s final Dance. His chalumeau register also made a telling accompaniment to high strings.Blackford, the melodist, shone through the opening Rhapsody, which boasts three contrasting themes. Crooks treated his own lines most effectively as a dialogue with the orchastra. But in the slow, relflective Elegy he showed himself capable of sustaining a fine legato. Orchestra and soloist integrated beautifully throughtout.”
York Evening Press by Edward Caine – 19/01/2008
“The focus of the concert was the world permier of Dick Blackfords Serenata for Two Horns and Orchestra. Typical through out was the use of beautiful and inventive orchestral colours and well defined thematic-block structures the piece was exuberant throughout and made good use of an antiphonal approach between the horns and orchestra. The “moderato” opened with just such an antiphonal fanfare theme and moved through fast paced exciting motives.
The “lento” movement opened with modal Ravel-like chords, but moved on to the woodwind heavy textures leading to a beautiful moment between horns and oboes in quartet.The final “allegro” was more reminiscent of Khatchaturian, using syncopated percussive rhythms and darker harmonies Blackford's wind writing is superb and the piece was very well played and received.”
York Evening Press by Steve Crowther – Jan 2007
“Dick Blackford’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra was a triumph for all concerned I was particularly impressed by the deceptive simplicity of the work: the non-stop trumpet rhetoric in the opening Allegro, silenced in a beautifully economic Lento with a haunting solo commentary and a real sense of dialogue working things out in the finale.
The orchestra performed the score admirably, with soloist Adam Micklethwaite teriffic!”
Master Singer by Emma Disley – 2006
Thousands will have heard Dick Balckford’s beautiful carol “Sweet was the song” at A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols broadcast from Kings last year. These four settings of Elizabethan poems “Now What is Love?” by Walter Raleigh. “Sweet if you like and love me still” by Francis Davison, and two by the prolific anon! “What is beauty?” and “Weepe you no more sad fountaines” are along the same lines and are very much to be welcomed as such.
York Evening Press by Martin Dreyer – 14/10/1996
“Blackford’s 10 minutes Marinus concert overture, avowedly nautical, is cleverly constructed, a snappy, syncopated motif framing a gentler mood introduced by the cor anglais. Full-bloodied low brass and sweeping strings unite both themes in a powerfull concusion. Instantly attractive it was relished on both sides of the podium.”