"Billy" Reed was an English violinist, teacher, composer, conductor and major biographer of Edward Elgar. He was leader of the London Symphony Orchestra for 23 years (1912–1935)
He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London under Émile Sauret and Frederick Corder, graduating with honours.
Most of Reed's output is chamber music and orchestral/string music. The use of English folksong pervades a lot of his work. This couldn't be more apparent than in his
Somerset Idylls - 1926.
There are two movements, The Crystal Spring and May Morning (Seventeen Come Sunday)
The first movement has one theme which is developed after its announcement in the cellos and violas. The whole movement is in the sample below.
SAMPLE: Somerset Idylls - 1st mov 'The Crystal Spring'
May Morning, the second movement uses the english folksong "Seventeen Come Sunday". This was used by Vaughan-Williams in the first movement of his English Folk Song Suite in 1923. In fact it was first used by Percy Grainger for choir and brass accompaniment in 1912.
Reeds arrangement starts of in quite a raucus fashion with the upper woodwind playing the tune over a grinding ground bass.
SAMPLE: Somerset Idylls - 2nd mov 'May Morning' - start
The music calms down and we hear the main theme on a solo horn before a recapitulation begins, but this time a counter melody intertwines with the main theme.
SAMPLE: Somerset Idylls - 2nd mov 'May Morning' - end