AVAILABILITY
BMS, 7 Tudor Gardens, Upminster, Essex RM14 3DE]
We infrequently come across
new recordings of vintage 19th Century songs, ballads
and hymns so this CD is a rare and admirable find. Linked to a
concert performance in celebration of the centenary year of Queen
Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, we sample the music of some forgotten
composers. Here the mixture is wide and allows one to learn something
of their styles.
The ballads, To Anthea
and When I beheld the anchor, are both delightful
and well suit Campbell Russell's light lyrical tenor voice. The
Balfe ballad comes from his first major opera, The Siege of
La Rochelle (1835), an opera unjustly neglected.
For me, particular highlights
of the disc are the piano pieces. Here delightful compositions
of Sterndale Bennett, Romance; Brinley Richards,
Pastorale and Walter Macfarren L'Amitie,
have been unearthed. All are beautifully played by John Talbot
on a piano with warm tone.
The Midlands Chorale sing
with good harmony and strength in the soprano section. They are
particularly well accomplished in their handling of the four-part
chorus/madrigal by Pearson. Armes' madrigal would be more charming
if there was more attention to dynamics. The opening track of
Sullivan's Jubilee Hymn seems a good choice to set
the historical scene. Though well sung it suffers from a certain
lethargy brought about by its plodding tempo. This disappoints
as an opening piece. I can understand the need to take hymns slowly
in a cathedral setting, but where reverberation problems are not
in evidence a more lively speed would be an advantage. Perhaps
the other choral pieces and hymns on this disc are similarly a
touch on the slow side for many listeners' liking.
The Martin Festival
Te Deum is engaging and although Martin's organ accompaniment
is unsophisticated the choir hold it together with a good pace.
Martin is not well known and as only two other entries appear
in the catalogue (for a hymn and psalm) this representation of
his music is appreciated. Goss wrote many pieces of church music
during his long life yet the sombre example chosen does not for
me contain much of interest. Mackenzie's Dormi, Jesu,
on the other hand, provides plenty of interest and is delivered
by Phillida Bannister (contralto) accompanied by Fiona Murphy
(cello0 and John Talbot (piano).
Of all the pieces that could
have represented the works of Henry Bishop, Home Sweet Home
seems an uninspired choice. This gentle and dreamy song is already
well known from the BBC Proms. Perhaps one of his Shakespearean
pieces, fresh to the ears, would have been more welcome.
The singers are accomplished
and deliver the lyrics with fair sensitivity. The brief, yet useful,
notes unfortunately omit to give any dates of composition and
so the listener cannot make comparisons of style with period.
Raymond Walker
British
Music Society
Katy Morrell (soprano); Phillida Bannister (contralto); Campbell Russell
(tenor); Fiona Murphy (cello); Wilfred Goddard (clarinet); Ian Wass (organ);
John Talbot, (piano)