DONALD RUNNICLES & ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, "BRITANNIA" (Telarc) *** 1/2

There are two unifying factors to the CD "Britannia." The first is explained by the title — all the composers are British. The second is that all of the music written on this CD was composed during the 20th century.

Other than that, all bets are off.

This is an eclectic and interesting collection, from the picturesque Orkney Wedding to the in-your-face dissonance (the liner notes say it's inspired by punk rock) of "Three Screaming Popes." And it's all book-ended by two of Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" marches.

Donald Runnicles conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This colorful collection features the music of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Mark-Anthony Turnage, James MacMillan, Benjamin Britten, and of course, Elgar.

Anglophile or not, it's a lot of fun, and the performance is what you would expect from an organization of the stature of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

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