Musically, this very melodic work reminds me, first and foremost, of the best solo albums of Rick Wakeman, and when I hear the guitar lines played by Stephen Ascombe, I think of Camel as well. Rory Ridley-Duff has full command of his synths and samples –  music of PROTOS never works boring, as Rory finds the exactly appropriate sound for each phrase. My personal favourite on this CD is the second instrumental track ( Travels ) , a 5/4 piece with a wonderful melody   and interesting harmonic changes in the middle part. The harmonies of the  sampled strings are underlined with an electric cello played by Nigel Rippon. Actually , the album has not a single piece, which could be seen as a filler – each track has its own character and its own highlights. To summarise my impressions of the Noble Pauper's Grave shortly – it is a very whole, completed and strong compositorial work.
 
The general sound of the production is very good up to excellent, as far as I can judge -  it sounds the same great on each of three audio systems I have. The recording is full of sound, and still works transparent. 
My mark for this album – "1" in a German School system, or 6 stars from 6 possible!
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“The Nobel Pauper’s Grave” by the exceptionally artistic Protos is an inspiring progressive-rock journey. The musicianship throughout the CD is very impressive. Mixing in narratives, this collection tells the story of a man who flees his life of wealth and luxury to live among and fight for the poor. As such, “The Novel Pauper’s Grave” is very dynamic, containing musical compositions aimed at representing a wide range of emotions and experiences. “Born a Bit Blue” is noteworthy for its lively, melodramatic vibe. “Travels” shifts into a more serene sound. Moreover, “The Rally” achieves a very epic sound through the use of triumphant orchestral lead melodies. “The Noble Pauper’s Grave” is very successful in taking listeners through the highs and lows of this tale’s epic journey.
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Protos re-issued a CD album titled 'One Day A New Horizon' (1982) last year which we evaluated. They expanded the boundaries of UK symphonic instrumental music, drawing on the palette established by Genesis, Steve Hackett and The Enid. They have reunited and released a marvelous new album [The Noble Pauper's Grave] - a dramatic story that Rory Ridley-Duff (keyboards) and Stephen Anscombe (guitars) have created. This is a great masterpiece, a step up in scale and quality from their previous work with magnificent classical keyboard playing and sweet, flowing, elegant guitars!
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