The music featured on this disc is broken down into four sections
sovereign by sovereign, and finished off with a new commission
by Paul Drayton, rounding up British history through its monarchs.
In his note, Drayton hits the nail on its head when he says
of his work “Don’t expect erudition”. Nevertheless,
it is witty and amusing and a good, light-hearted conclusion
to the disc.
Charting musical development in Britain through music relating
to its monarchs is an interesting - if not original - concept,
and the works included are well-chosen and programmed: the musical
development evident between the compositions relating to the
reign of Henry VIII and those of Elizabeth I is very striking.
I am not entirely convinced, however, by the performances, which
seem to me to lack conviction - it is very rare indeed that
I feel that the performers are hearing, understanding, feeling
or communicating the words. The sound - for better or for worse
- is very breathy, and strikes one from the very beginning as
rather effeminate - especially at the piano end of the
dynamic. The overall delivery is somewhat affected. This is
especially noticeable in Ah, Robin, gentle Robin. There
are also some technical problems, of varying degrees of seriousness:
the solo opening It is to me a right great joy is very
ropey and the rest of the song is not particularly secure. None
of the singers are particularly good at melismas. The first
counter-tenor struggles particularly badly. He also has difficulty
producing a beautiful note at the top end of the range. Some
of the notes in To her beneath whose steadfast star,
and particularly the sustained f-natural - are rather painful.
There are also some very evident intonation problems in Fair
Oriana, beauty’s Queen. The ends of words get lost
at faster tempos. You can hear this in “running”,
in As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending, which all
too obviously becomes “runnin’”. The enunciation
- not great throughout - is particularly poor in Britten’s
Choral Dances from Gloriana. The cadential chords are
not always especially well-balanced - The Triumph of Victoria
suffers from this. There could be more change of tone-colour
in response to the harmony - especially given the telling nature
of the polyphonic texture in relation to the text - as in The
Silver Swan. Finally, I wasn’t especially keen on
the great gasps of breath before each phrase - maybe they’re
using the breaths as an audible upbeat, but it is quite intrusive
on a recording.
I was pleased to find the words to the songs printed although
there are misprints here. On the other hand, I was disappointed
though not in the slightest surprised to find no fewer than
three photographs of The King’s Singers in various states
of affected relaxation but not a single photograph or portrait
of a composer or a monarch. At least we have reasonably intelligent
and thorough notes on the music, however!
On the whole, this is a well-programmed, and presented, disc,
just rather let down by the performances. Although I cannot
honestly say that I have any particular respect for the renditions
of the work on this disc, it is nevertheless an enjoyable release
to listen to and one that I will probably return to on occasion,
for the programming of works, if not the singing.
Em Marshall-Luck
Track listing
HENRY VIII
KING HENRY VIII Pastime
with good companie [1.53]
William CORNYSH Ah, Robin,
gentle Robin [2.25] Blow thy horn, hunter [2.23]
KING HENRY VIII It is to me a right great joy
[1.33]
ANON Hey, trolly lolly lo! [3.56]
ELIZABETH I
Ellis GIBBONS Long live
fair Oriana [2.39]
Orlando GIBBONS The
Silver Swan (Round) [2.00]
Orlando GIBBONS The Silver Swan [1.46]
John HILTON Fair Oriana,
beauty’s Queen [2.21]
John MUNDY Lightly she
whipped o’er the dales [3.11]
John DOWLAND Flow, O
my tears [1.37]
John BENNET Weep, O mine
eyes [2.44]
Thomas WEELKES As Vesta
was from Latmos hill descending [3.19]
VICTORIA
Sir Walter PARRATT The
Triumph of Victoria [2.33]
Sir Hubert PARRY Who
can dwell with greatness? [3.07]
Sir Edward ELGAR To her
beneath whose steadfast star [4.51]
ELIZABETH II
Benjamin BRITTEN
Choral Dances from Gloriana
Time [1.51]
Concord [2.25]
Time and Concord [1.46]
Country Girls [1.17]
Rustics and Fishermen [1.00]
Final Dance of Homage [2.20]
Paul DRAYTON
A Rough Guide to the Royal Succession (It’s just one damn
King after another...) [12.48]
The King’s Singers 