An interesting disc of English song, which is, unusually enough,
sorted by singer rather than programme, story-line or even composer.
Works featured range from the well known, such as the much-loved
Kashmiri Song by Amy Woodford Finden, through to the
intriguing and unfamiliar, including Henry Lesley, Glyn Williams
and Richard Hageman.
The disc commences with Stuart Burrows – his performances a
little on the histrionic side, perhaps, but nevertheless sung
with passion and sensitivity; My Little Welsh Home, in
particular, is most movingly performed. We move on to Valerie
Masterson, where Quilter’s masterpiece Now Sleeps the Crimson
Petal really shows up the comparatively twee preceding When
you come to the end of a perfect day.
I found Thomas Allen’s Linden Lea somehow not quite as
touching as it should be, although the ensuing Silent Worship
is most exquisitely sung. Sarah Walker’s rendition of Purcell’s
Music for a While, meanwhile, is superb. It is not too
indulgent – Walker takes it at a fairly brisk pace, yet it nonetheless
does not lack for pathos; absolutely beautiful. There are also
gorgeous piano textures in Blow the Wind Southerly –
gossamer harp effects.
Elgar’s Is she not passing fair and Ireland’s Sea
Fever are also well-sung by Peter Jeffes and Raimund Herincx
respectively.
Theses singers show English Solo Song as it should be – they
have complete vocal control and superb enunciation; they are
sensitive to the songs’ nuances; they communicate the words,
which they have clearly digested and understood; they create
excellent shades of light and dark. My only criticism of this
disc is of the booklet notes, which are brief and far from informative
and don’t even mention the poor accompanist. The presentation
is very slip-shod - appalling mistakes on the back inlay with
composers’ names incorrectly spelt, for example.
Full Contents (amended and corrected where necessary.
JS)
Stuart Burrows
1 Annabelle Lee - Henry Leslie (1822-1896) [3:02]
2 Kashmiri Song (Four Indian Love Lyrics) - Amy Woodforde-Finden
(1860-1919) [3:03]
3 My little Welsh home - W S Gwynn Williams (1896-1978) [2:19]
Valerie Masterson
4 When you come to the end of a perfect day - Carrie Jacobs-Bond
(1862-1946) [2:41]
5 Now sleeps the crimson petal - Roger Quilter (1877-1953) [2:29]
6 Bird songs at eventide - Eric Coates (1886-1957) [2:54]
Thomas Allen
7 Linden Lea - Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) [2:36]
8 Silent worship - Adapted from an aria in Tolomeo by George
Friderich Handel (1685-1759) by Arthur Somervell (1863-1937)
[2:14]
9 Silent noon - Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) (4:29]
Sarah Walker
10 Music for a while - Henry Purcell (1659-1695) [3:21]
11 O mistress mine - Hubert Parry (1848-1918) [1:20]
12 Blow the wind southerly - Traditional, arranged ?? [4:01]
Peter Jeffes
13 To Mary - Maude Valerie White (1855-1937) [3:27]
14 The cherry tree - Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960) [2:38]
15 Is she not passing fair - Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) [3:00]
Raimund Herincx
16 The Vagabond (Songs of Travel) - Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
[2:58]
17 Sea Fever - John Ireland (1879-1962) [2:28]
18 Do not go, my love - Richard Hageman (1881-1966) [2:51]
Patricia White & Jonathan Rees
19 Phillis on the new mown hay [2:44]
20 The tailor and his mouse [1:51]
21 I know my love [2:09]
22 I know where I’m going [2:56]
23 As I was goin’ to Ballynure [1:44]
19-23 all arranged by Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
Em Marshall-Luck
See also reviews by Rob
Barnett and John Sheppard
Stuart Burrows (tenor); Valerie Masterson (soprano); Thomas Allen
(baritone); Sarah Walker (mezzo); Peter Jeffes (tenor); Raimund
Herincx (baritone); Patricia White (soprano); Jonathan Rees (violin)
