FOR any Scottish music lover worth his salt, this has been a

significant year in publishing. Two long-awaited books, both written by

my colleague Conrad Wilson, should be high on the agenda for purchase.

A London critic recently observed that in Alex -- the elegantly

written biography of Sir Alexander Gibson that records fully the seminal

influence of Scotland's Mr Music and draws a fascinatingly enigmatic

portrait of the man behind the baton -- Conrad Wilson, with a lifetime's

experience of commenting on the Scottish music scene, is uniquely

qualified for the task (Mainstream, #14.99).

The same applies to Playing for Scotland (HarperCollins #17.99), the

eminently readable centenary history of the Royal SNO that skilfully

manipulates chronology to draw a warm and affectionate portrait of

Scotland's most venerable musical institution from its earliest

choral-associated days in Glasgow through to its darkest days in the

early nineties when it was riven by dispute.

Extremely expensive at #60, but of its kind one of the very best, is

the recently published Viking Opera Guide which sets new standards in

its succinct and brilliantly coloured summaries of over 1500 operas. An

invaluable reference book.)