Unique forays - the CDs we overlook

It is probably true to surmise bewilderment for the majority of music lovers who care to ponder the CD revolution and the effect on us through a myriad outlets, quite apart from our own libraries and equipment.

Pursuing this matter further through recollection and thought alone, we see 'as through a glass darkly'. Even without recourse to statistics the light begins to filter through that CDs must exist in almost countless millions worldwide. Despite a sizeable proportion containing music that is not to our taste, the 'classical' - a term that must embrace anything so-called 'serious' - remains as a massive avalanche. Should we be in a position to tip the lot down a mountainside a small town could be buried to a considerable depth.

We mostly miscalculate the size of our 'classical music' world, not that statistics help or hinder what we believe, but we know that in this area of global penetration serious music consistently pushes back the barriers, much through a blurring of the edges of the so-called 'divide'.

As always this subject rouses me to implore music-loving people (hopefully 100% of our readers) to explore the fringes of the recorded repertoire to find the areas of severe neglect that amazingly have found small record companies willing to take risks.

Often they are calculated risks to draw attention to a small catalogue, but that is valuable to us, and valuable to the company in making a sale.

I freely admit returning to matters that can help others. I have found myself drawn to a sampler CD exposing the catalogue of another small company collecting unknown gems. Look out for Glossa, a Spanish label rich in little-known pre-classical and classical music (www.glossamusic.com). And remember, thoughtfully, that there are others in every continent providing valuable and sometimes unique forays into the unknown. Please support them.