This is an impressive album. From the quality of the singing,
by way of the imaginative accompaniment, to the impressive ‘batting
order’ of the songs, this CD is an excellent purchase. The album
introduces even the hard-bitten enthusiast of English lieder
to new delights. Add to all this, a fine introductory essay
which not only discusses the songs, but also suggests a philosophical
framework and historical context for a better understanding
of them. Finally, the sound quality is impressive, allowing
the singer, the pianist and the song to be seen in the best
possible light.
One sad footnote to this CD: Lesley-Jane Rogers told me that
Christopher Ross, her fine accompanist, succumbed to leukaemia
in 2005. This is surely a great loss to the musical world.
The track-listing is interesting. There are 27 songs on this
CD, giving a generous 70 minutes of music. For the listener
it is invidious to play the CD from end to end: so much would
be missed. But the reality is that this disc can be listened
to as three separate recitals (Tracks 1 to 10; 11-19 and 20–27).
And this is the way I suggest that it is approached.
Lesley-Jane Rogers notes in her essay that there are different
streams of influence in English Song. This includes the use
of folksong, the rediscovery of the music of Purcell and his
contemporaries, and the influence of German lieder and French
Mélodies. Over and above these purely musical references is
the more intangible Englishness that is partly derived from
the fields and hills and villages of this great country. Add
to this the treasury of verse, poetry and song that the composers
were able to draw upon – both contemporary and historical. All
these things result in an important genre of music that is often
sidelined or even ignored. It is the raison d’être of this CD
to redress this balance.
It is not necessary to discuss every song in detail; however
I want to point out some highlights. There are a fair few ‘old
favourites’ on this CD, such as Howells’ beautiful ‘King David’,
Frank Bridge’s ‘Love went a riding’ and Ralph Vaughan Williams’
‘The new ghost’. But it is the less well-known pieces and the
downright rarities that add special value. The two songs that
most impressed me were the great Housman setting of ‘The cherry
hung with snow’ from Colin Ross and the beautiful ‘Crab-apple’
by Montague Philips. I had heard neither song before. I have
not come across the composer Colin Ross, although I understand
that he was one-time organist at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne.
The depth of the repertoire ranges over some six decades. Amongst
the earlier pieces is Parry’s ‘Three aspects’ (1909). This is
a powerful song that surely has allusions to the well-known
‘Jerusalem’. It surprised me that it has not remained in the
repertoire. Elgar is represented with his well-known ‘Like to
the damask rose’.
There are a fair few songs here that are totally new to me:
for example Eric Thiman’s ‘The piper pipes a merry tune’. I
guess that most people will associate Thiman with the organ
loft and educational music, but he did write a number of secular,
concert works. Hearing this song suggests that re-evaluation
of Thiman’s music may well be overdue. I had not heard the Michael
Head song ‘Sweet chance’, Arthur Bliss’s coquettish ‘The buckle’
and Anthony Hopkins’ ‘A melancholy song’. With Hopkins it is
often forgotten that he is an accomplished composer; he is best
known for his books of musical analysis and his popular radio
programme Talking About Music. Hopkins’ ‘wryly humorous’
song is the shortest on this CD, yet reveals competence, wit
and imagination.
Lesley-Jane Rogers has chosen a fair selection of better-known
songs -including such numbers as John Ireland’s ‘My true love
has my heart’ and his ‘I had Twelve Oxen’. Britten enthusiasts
are not ignored: there is a fine performance of ‘Let the florid
music praise’. Other composers include Moeran, Warlock, Quilter
and Bax. Cecil Armstrong Gibbs is represented by three fine
songs, Bridge by his well known ‘Love went a riding’ and his
slightly lesser known ‘Speak to me, my love!’ And finally, I
enjoyed Herbert Howells ‘On the merry first of May’. This song
is light and vivacious: it could not be in greater contrast
to his setting of ‘King David’.
There are only two minor criticisms: I wish that it had been
possible to provide the texts of the songs. I guess that most
of them would have been out of copyright. And secondly, it would
have been useful to provide dates of composers and the pieces
in the track listings - the former are in the text.
This is a CD that all enthusiasts of English Song will want
to have in his or her collection. Lesley-Jane Rogers’ voice
is ideally suited to this kind of music. She is well able to
balance depth of tone with an intimacy of detail. I noted above
her essay and its philosophical approach to these songs. Basically
the singer and accompanist have to realise that each song is
a mini-opera complete with plot, scene-setting and character.
If a song suggests innocence, then this must be the mark of
the interpretation: if it is slyness, then this is the keynote.
It may seem obvious, but so many singers seem to have one set
approach to singing that is used in every song they sing! Lesley-Jane
Rogers most definitely practises what she preaches. The theory
is put into practice in this recital.
A brief CV of the singer can be read at the Penchant website.
John France
Track listing
John IRELAND (1879-1972) My true love hath
my heart [1:50]
Arthur BLISS (1891-1975) The buckle [1:09]
E. J. MOERAN (1894-1950) Strings in the
earth and air [2:04]
Peter WARLOCK (1894-1930) Robin Good-fellow
[1:23]
Anthony HOPKINS (b.1921) A melancholy song
[0.47]
Roger QUILTER (1877-1953) Drooping Wings
[2:26]
Eric THIMAN (1900-1975) The piper pipes
a merry tune [1:28]
Arnold BAX (1883-1953) When I was one-and-twenty
[3:44]
John IRELAND (1879-1972) I have twelve
oxen [1:58]
Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) On the merry
first of May [1:03]
Roger QUILTER (1877-1953) Love's Philosophy
[1:19]
Colin ROSS (1911-1993) The cherry hung
with snow [3:15]
Cecil ARMSTRONG GIBBS (1889-1960) The fields
are full [1:58]
Montague PHILLIPS (1885-1969) Crab-apple
[1:29]
Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Speak to me, my
love! [5:49]
Cecil ARMSTRONG GIBBS (1889-1960) Sweet
sounds, begone [2:59]
Cyril SCOTT (1879-1970) Lullaby [2:30]
Cecil ARMSTRONG GIBBS (1889-1960) Why do
I love? [2:31]
Charles Hubert Hastings PARRY (1848-1918)
Three aspects [2:38]
Michael HEAD (1900-1976) Sweet chance [2:15]
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Like to the damask
rose [3:51]
Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) King David
[4:40]
William WALTON (1902-1983) Rhyme [2:09]
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) The
new ghost [5:03]
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Let the florid
music praise! [4:10]
Ivor GURNEY (1890-1937) Sleep [3:12]
Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Love went-a-riding
[1:53]
Lesley-Jane Rogers (soprano); Christopher Ross (piano) 
