Ivor Gurney’s ‘Carol of the Skiddaw Yowes’: An Appreciation Part III

The song was first published in 1920 by Boosey and Co. In a letter to J.W. Haines dated 9 February 1921, Gurney states that he had received ‘very nice letter’ from the poet’s wife, ‘to acknowledge the Carol, and to say she likes it.’ (Collected Letters, 1991). The song was subsequently reprinted in 1925. It was included in A Heritage of 20th Century British Song: Vol 2 published by Boosey and Hawkes in 1977 and again in 1984. In 1988 Richard Graves arranged ‘Skiddaw Yowes’ for SATB. It was printed by Banks Music Publications, Sand Hutton, York.

It is strange that I can locate only a single current recording of the ‘Carol of Skiddaw Yowes.’ This was made by the baritone Benjamin Luxon and pianist David Willison back in 1990 and released on the Chandos label. The CD includes a good selection of songs by George Butterworth including Six Songs from ‘A Shropshire Lad’, ‘Bredon Hill and other songs’ and twenty numbers by Ivor Gurney. They are all beautifully sung, but as noted above, Luxon takes ‘Skiddaw Yowes’ at a jaunty pace.

The Lake District does not appear to have acted as inspiration for composers in quite the same way as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and London.  Philip Scowcroft, writing for MusicWeb International has scoured the catalogues for works which evoke this inspiring landscape. 

The late Arthur Butterworth wrote a set of piano pieces entitled Lakeland Summer Nights, op.10 in 1949. One major work was Cecil Armstrong Gibbs’ Symphony No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 104, ‘Westmorland’ composed in 1944. This is an impressive work that does not seem to have gained traction with concert promoters. The same composer produced Lakeland Pictures for piano solo, op.98 (1940).  Scowcroft mentions a chamber work by Cyril Rootham entitled In the Lake Country for violin (viola or cello) and piano (1924).  My personal favourite evocation of the Lake District is Maurice Johnstone’s impressionistic tone poem, Cumbrian Rhapsody: Tarn Hows (1951) Fortunately, a recording of this work was released in 1999 by ASV Whiteline label on CDWHL 2116. It is difficult to understand how such a recollective piece has not entered the concert hall and radio studios. In 1985, John McCabe wrote his Cloudcatcher Fells for brass band: this is a masterpiece of Lake District landscape ‘tone-painting.’ It has been recorded a few times.

I have always wanted to hear Samuel Hartley Braithwaite’s Symphonic Scherzo A Night by Dalegarth Bridge, first heard under the baton of Dan Godfrey at Bournemouth on 22 December 1920. It has a tantalising title and is surely deserving of revival.

Finally, one work that was never completed (sketches remain) was Edward Elgar’s Lakes Overture, sketched in the early 1880s. It would surely have been a great companion piece to the well-known Froissart Overture and the sun-drenched In the South.

Ivor Gurney’s ‘Carol of Skiddaw Yowes’ remains one of his most satisfying works. Its straightforwardness adds to the dramatic ‘haunting’ effect. As Michael Pilkington (1989) has noted, it is an ideal song for performance at Christmastide. It is one of the loveliest and most effective evocations of the Lake District and of the ‘shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.’

Brief Bibliography:
Blevins, Pamela, Ivor Gurney and Marion Scott: Song of Pain & Beauty (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2008)
Hold, Trevor, Parry to Finzi: Twenty English Song-Composers (Woodbridge, The Boydell Press, 2002)
Lancaster, Philip, ‘Ivor Gurney: Catalogue of Musical Works’, The Ivor Gurney Society Journal, (IGSJ) Volume 12, 2006.
Pilkington, Michael, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock in the English Solo Song: Guides to the Repertoire (London, Thames Publishing, 1989)
Thornton, R.K.R. (editor), Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters (Manchester, Mid Northumberland Arts Group/Carcanet Press, 1991)
Walter, George, Chronology of Gurney’s Life and Work (http://www.geneva.edu/~dksmith/gurney/chronology.html) [Accessed 15/05/18]
The files of The Gramophone, Ivor Gurney Society Journal, etc 

Discography:
When I was One-and-Twenty: George Butterworth and Ivor Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David Willison (piano) (CHANDOS CHAN 8831 1990)

Concluded

With thanks to the Ivor Gurney Society Journal, Volume 23, 2017 where this essay was first published.