Symphonies Nos 1 and 4 - Abertura Festiva .Carmago Guarnieri and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Neschling. Bis CD 1290

WITH a Sicilian father and a Brazilian mother, Mozart Carmago Guarnieri was bound to have a musical future.

All the children in the family were given the names of famous composers.

Considered to be the next in line to Villa Lobos, their styles are different, yet so similar. There is no escaping the feel of Latin America.

Symphony No 1 opens with full and energetic orchestra, including a fulsome and robust brass section. It isn't too often that a tuba is clearly heard in full flow!

Begun in 1943, and completed in 1944, it has a modern and inspirational feel and was dedicated to Sergei Koussevitzky formerly conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a patron of new composers. The composer conducted the premiere in 1945.

Symphony No 4 was dedicated to Leonard Bernstein, who assisted Koussevitzky, and later became conductor of The City of New York Symphony Orchestra. This symphony was written in 1963, 20 years after the first and is every bit as exciting as the first.

This is modern music, rhythmic and vibrant, and is music of its time. There are traces of film scores, a touch of something maybe heard before, but most of all it is energising and triumphant. Those South Americans certainly know how to enjoy a tune.

The winners of the Duetto CD competition were Mr D Bowen of Great Witley; Mrs Atkinson of Waterworks Road, Worcester and Vera Munslow of New Street, Worcester. The correctly named The Three Tenors as Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras.