Edward White: Paris Interlude (c.1949)

A destination for many putative time travellers must be Paris in the 1940s and 1950s. After having suffered occupation by the Germans, it was quickly becoming a place of style and haute couture. There was still much deprivation on the streets with rationing of food and petrol. Yet a new generation of artists were making themselves felt. On 12 February 1946, Christian Dior held the first major fashion show after the end of the war. The car industry was being resurrected with a major show also in 1946. Jazz was important, with clubs opening their doors from the mid-1940s onwards. Olivier Messiaen was an important figure in classical music. Legendary authors at that time included Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus who were hugely influential in the city. And then from 1952, Audrey Hepburn, would come to personify the city.

Edward George White (1910–1994) was a British composer of light music, known for his charming and witty compositions. Born in London, White was self-taught and began his musical career as a violinist in various dance bands, also playing the saxophone and clarinet. White's compositions, such as The Runaway Rocking-Horse, Caprice for Strings, and The Clockwork Clown became familiar numbers on the BBC Light Programme. Puffin' Billy, his most famous piece, was inspired by an old steam locomotive seen by White on the Isle of Wight. It was used as the signature tune for Children's Favourites. White's music evokes a sense of nostalgia for a past era, which was probably not quite as idyllic as its mood often suggests.

Edward White’s ‘take’ on Paris ignores the problems of the era and paints a picture of fun and enjoyment with a touch of romance. Written around 1949, it speaks of the good things that were happening in the city. Opening with a rising figure on the glockenspiel, the music soon becomes jaunty and vibrant. The woodwind provides a neat commentary on the big tune. There is a less frenetic moment towards the middle of the piece, but the general tenor is sheer enjoyment and exuberance from the first note to the last.

Edward White’s Paris Interlude was first released by Boosey & Hawkes, O.2181 in about 1949. It was coupled with Clive Richardson’s The Beachcomber. The New Concert Orchestra was conducted by Jack Leon.

Listen to Edward White’s Paris Interlude on YouTube, here.

So Written to After-Times: John McCabe - A Life in Letters

The advertising for this new book explains that it is “a compilation of letters between composer-pianist John McCabe (1939-2015) and eminent composers and performers from across the world.” The tenor of the letters ranges from “the scholastically interesting to the frivolous and emotionally moving.” Correspondents include Benjamin Britten, Alun Hoddinott, William Alwyn, John Barbirolli, André Previn, and (of course) his wife, Monica.

After his death, McCabe’s archive revealed a remarkable collection of letters, postcards, faxes, and emails. These documents offer valuable insights into his considerable impact on music, musicians, family, and friends, shedding light on various aspects of his life and legacy.

A few biographical details will put these letters into context. John McCabe was born in Huyton, Liverpool, deciding to become a composer at the age of five-and-a-half. He studied at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music, later continuing his education in Munich with Harald Genzmer. McCabe's career spanned composition, performance, and teaching. Notable works include symphonies, ballets, concertos, and chamber music. He gained international recognition with pieces like Notturni ed Alba (1970), his Concerto for Orchestra (1982) and supremely, Cloudcatcher Fell for brass band (1985). His music defies categorisation: he often used post-tonal structures, including serialism, but rarely entered avant-garde blind alleys. It is typically approachable, and always satisfying. As a concert pianist, McCabe’s recordings of Haydn's complete Piano Sonatas on the Decca label are considered definitive.

He served as director of the London College of Music from 1983 to 1990. In 1999 Oxford University Press published his major study of fellow North Country composer Alan Rawsthorne. John McCabe died in Rochester, Kent on 13 February 2015.

The principal text examining his life and work is Landscapes of the Mind: The Music of John McCabe edited by George Odam (2008). Prior to this the indefatigable Stewart R Craggs published John McCabe: A Bio-Bibliography (1991). Sadly, this latter volume is now 34 years out of date. However, it is still a decent starting point for students wishing to explore his achievement. The entry in Grove’s Dictionary was published as far back as 2001.

In A Life in Letters, most of the text is a chronological selection of 314 letters between John McCabe and a wide range of correspondents. They begin with one from the organist Frederick H. Wood to the nine-year-old boy, suggesting that writing a Soldier’s March or a Fairy Dance might be an easier task than a symphony. The final epistle is a moving draft of “John’s Last Letter” written shortly before his death.

It is invidious to pick out examples from this book, as all are of interest and importance. Yet for me, the twenty-one letters from Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012) who was a versatile British composer, known for his film scores, concert music, and jazz performances, are of deep significance. Superficially, Bennett’s letters are often characterised by wit and frivolity but there is a deeper intent here. Monica McCabe told me that she found “an undercurrent of loneliness and insecurity” in these pages, “even about his [own] outstanding talent.” Certainly, these letters deserve to be read as a group. In fact, in a note dated 25 November c.1983, he does suggest that if they keep up the correspondence, “we can publish a slim volume of letters.” Based on the humour and subjects of these missives, I think an edition of RRB’s ‘complete’ correspondence is a desideratum for all cultural and music historians.

Two important sequences of letters are included between McCabe and his fellow student and lifelong friend Professor George Odam and the American composer, literary scholar and teacher, Barney Childs. The latter wrote avant-garde music both in the United States and in the UK, at Goldsmiths College.

Another fascinating series of letters explores John McCabe’s overseas trip to the middle east where he gave a series of recitals, lectures, and masterclasses under the auspices of the British Council. During October and November 1979, he wrote to his wife from Riyadh, Jeddah (Djidda), Baghdad, Kuwait, Amman, and Damascus. Much of this is his thoughts about the places he visited and the hotels he stayed at. There is even a note suggesting that typewriters were hard to find in Iraq, due to “the spy industry, apparently.” McCabe mentions to his wife that “there is undoubtedly a tape recording of our phone call last night…”

The letters are complimented by a light touch commentary by Monica McCabe, which give a sense of perspective and expands on some of the less well-known correspondents or people mentioned in the text. Interestingly, there is a selection of emails. This is one of the problems of our modern age. I guess that many people do not keep these electronic messages, and they inevitably disappear into the recycle bin. So, it is good to have these here.

The book is enhanced by a striking selection of photographs of John McCabe, his friends and family. Many are in colour. The text is readable, and the binding is sturdy. The only slight criticism of this otherwise flawless volume is the lack of a topical index. To be sure, there is a comprehensive listing of correspondents, but no opportunity to search for folk mentioned in the text and McCabe’s (and other composer’s) compositions.

The ethos of this book is summed up by an apt quotation from John Milton’s The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelaty: “By labour and intense study (which I take to be my portion in this life) joined with a strong propensity of nature, I might perhaps leave something so written to after times as they should not willingly let it die.” Letters are an important means of understanding an artist’s work. They fill out details of historical context and can reveal much about the intentions and creative process behind specific compositions. They often reveal the character of the person themselves, which can help in evaluating a response to their art. Too often we forget that great musicians are human beings, with all that the human condition brings. And they are not always thinking about music…

Finally, although, I hope that this volume will be used by historians for serious study, I agree with the sentiment printed on the rear cover, that besides being an interesting and valuable historical document and revealing the inner reflections of celebrated artists, it also makes good, often humorous, bedtime reading.  This is a high recommendation indeed.

Sidney Torch: London Transport Suite (1957)

Commissioned by the 1957 BBC Light Music Festival, Sidney Torch’s London Transport Suite is a little bit of whimsy. Although not approaching the wit of Gerard Hoffnung’s legendary concerts at the Royal Festival Hall, it is certainly fun. Three short movements notice long vanished aspects of the Capital’s transport system. The Suite was premiered on BBC TV on the evening of 4 August 1957, at 10pm.

Sidney Torchinsky, known professionally as Sidney Torch, was a prominent British composer, conductor, and pianist born on June 5, 1908, in London. Early study began with his father, Morris Torchinsky, a professional trombonist. Torch studied piano at the Blackheath Conservatoire and quickly gained recognition as an accompanist to violinist Albert Sandler.

Torch's career took a significant turn when he became an organist at various London cinemas, including the Regal, Marble Arch, and the Gaumont State Cinema. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force, where he was able to pursue his career as a conductor and arranger for the RAF Concert Orchestra. After the war, he began to write light orchestral music, as well as conducting the Queen's Hall Light Orchestra and the New Century Orchestra.

The liner notes for the Marco Polo (see below) recording of the London Transport Suite explains that Torch was “inspired by the withdrawal from service of 'The Brighton Belle', a much-loved train running between London and Brighton, a fashionable seaside resort on the south coast of England. The three movements therefore describe modes of transport no longer with us.”

The first movement portrays an old Hansom Cab, seen on the streets in the early twentieth century. This is no ‘Blask Cab’ but a horse drawn vehicle that could accommodate two people, three at a squeeze. Torch has created a musical portrait of a ‘day in the life’ of the horse. From leaving the stable, to an early morning clip-clop down a quiet London street. Suddenly a motor car backfired, and the poor old horse bolted, causing damage in a China shop. All turned out fine, and the piece ends with a “whinny.” The ‘big’ tune here is a classic ‘light music’ creation. And it is reprised at the end.

The second movement pays respects to Rosie, The Red Omnibus. She was the precursor of the Routemasters and Boris’s Buses. Torch has portrayed Rosie by the tuba and comes complete with an old-fashioned horn. There is lot of wheezing as it progresses along The Strand. Once again, a splendid melody is introduced, suggesting that the bus finally gets moving.

The last movement, The 5.52 from Victorloo is a clever bit of ‘railway music’ so beloved of light music composers. Combining two of London’s busiest main line station, the piece opens with steam train sounds from the band, before a big tune emerges supported by a chuffing accompaniment.

Sidney Torch’s London Transport Suite (1957) can be heard on YouTube, here. The BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth. It was released in 1996 on the Marco Polo label, 8.22443, as part of their British Light Music series.

It's not British, but...Scheherazade for piano

The liner notes remind the listener that as “A mystic realm tinged with the scent of foreign spices, bewitching music, vivid colour and sensual delights…Orientalism sparked a new wave of romanticism in Western art in the 19th century.” Certainly, one of the drivers of this interest were translations of the Thousand and One Nights, also known as The Arabian Nights, into various European languages. This included a French edition by Antonine Galland published over the years 1704-17, and multi volume English editions by John Payne, 1882-84 and Richard Burton, 1885-88.

The Arabian Nights is an enormous collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age. The core of the collection is the story of Scheherazade, an intelligent woman who tells captivating stories to her husband, King Shahryar, to postpone her execution. She weaves tales each night, leaving them unfinished so that the king spares her life to hear more. Well-loved stories include Aladdin's Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor. These tales are rich with themes of adventure, magic, love, and justice, often reflecting the culture and values of the medieval Islamic world.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was long fascinated by the “mythical orient.” His most popular work is the orchestral Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade, op.35 (1888). It was inspired by four stories from the Arabian Nights. The movements are: The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, The Story of the Kalendar Prince, The Young Prince and the Young Princess and the concluding Festival in Baghdad - The Shipwreck on the Rocks. The texts of the underlying stories are easily discovered on the internet. The original features brilliant orchestration, exotic themes, and dramatic musical storytelling. It is a fine blend of Eastern influences with the Western symphonic tradition. The use of leitmotivs for Scheherazade and the Sultan gives continuity to the entire Suite.

The present pianist, Etsuko Hirose has made a wonderfully evocative transcription for piano solo. It is faithful to the impact and atmosphere of the original. Especially delightful is the romantic The Young Prince and the Young Princess. And the final movement describing the shipwreck, rises to a Lisztian power and drama.

Now the obvious question is of appeal. Would the listener want to hear a piano version of this well-loved work, or would they stick with one of the myriad recordings made of the orchestral score. Two reasons why they should buy this CD. Firstly, I was really listening to the music, and not just allowing it to wash over me. I heard things in this performance that have eluded me over the past half century. And, secondly, it is not just a transcription of the music, but a faithful recreation. Hirose has developed a score that is truly pianistic.

Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952) was a Ukrainian-born pianist and composer who later became an Austrian citizen. He studied at the Imperial Conservatory in St. Petersburg and later at the Leipzig Conservatory as a student of Alfred Reisenauer and Salomon Jadassohn. His work is exemplified by its romantic style, rich harmonies, and melodic beauty. He wrote numerous piano pieces, including concertos, preludes, etudes, and sonatas, which are admired for their technical demands and expressive depth. Sadly, despite some revival on disc in recent years, Bortkiewicz's works remain relatively unknown, except to enthusiasts of the genre.

I am beholden to the liner notes for information about Bortkiewicz’s Oriental Ballet Suite: Thousand and One Nights, op.37. It was published in 1928 as a piano solo but was later orchestrated by the composer. Speaking of his time in Constantinople, Bortkiewicz recalled: “One suddenly feels transported to ancient times, one forgets the present and believes that one is experiencing a fairy tale from 1001 Nights come to life. It would be too much to describe all the beauties of this fairytale like country.” The Suite is presented in ten contrasting movements. The opening Caliph Haroun-al-Rashid reflects this potentate’s power with fanfares whilst The Story of the Poor Fisherman evokes the magic of the genii out of the bottle. The Dance of the Young Girls is wistful, dreaming, perfect, and the Oriental Dance fairly zips along, with a lovely reflective trio section. ‘Hammer Horror’ sonorities infuse The Enchanted Castle which is followed by a melancholy tribute to Zobeide and her two sisters, the latter of whom were turned into black dogs. The track listing titles the seventh movement as a Dance of Mourning; however, the score gives it as a Dream Dance. There is little grieving in these pages. It is possibly the loveliest number in the suite. The Three Sisters return with a lively Allegro with its chattering progress reflecting on the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water. A Bacchanal, which is not too wild and drunken leads into The Wicked Magician Escapes from the Bottle. This is full of dramatic pianistic effects bringing the Suite to an end.

Japanese classical pianist Etsuko Hirose began playing the piano at age three and performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26 at six years. After studying in Paris, she won first prize at the 1999 Martha Argerich Competition, launching her solo career. She has also ‘received the guidance’ of Alfred Brendel, Marie-Francoise Bucquet and Jorge Chamine. Hirose has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center in Washington and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Her interpretations of Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt are particularly acclaimed by critics for their depth and sensitivity.

Helpful liner notes are included, in English only. There is a long resume of Etsuko Hirose’s distinguished career.

I enjoyed this disc evoking the delights of a Thousand and One Nights and their heroine, Scheherazade. The pianist has created lovely performances of enchanted music that will appeal to lovers of fairy tales of all ages.

Track Listing:
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade, op.35 (1888), arr. Etsuko Hirose (b.1979)
Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952)
Oriental Ballet Suite: Thousand and One Nights, op.37 (pub.1928)
Etsuko Hirose (piano)
rec. 2-4 September 2024, Théâtre Georges-Leygues, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France
Danacord DACOCD 985

Arnold Bax: Legend for viola and piano (1929)

Just what the lore was behind Arnold Bax's Legend for viola and piano, is uncertain. It may be some tale from Ireland, so beloved by the composer. Or maybe from the dark forests of Scandinavia. Then again it could be the moors and mountains of the Western Highlands of Scotland. More likely there is no story, just a mood picture.

The Legend was completed during July 1929, whilst Bax was living at 155 Fellows Road, Swiss Cottage, London. The manuscript was dedicated to the American patroness, Mrs Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge who commissioned it. Sadly, her name was misspelt ‘Elisabeth’ on both the holograph and the published score. The latter was first issued in 1930 by Murdoch, Murdoch, and Co.

Bax had been working on his Symphony No.3 in London and Arisaig, Inverness-shire. It is full of vibrant colour and stormy, rhythmic drive, which captures his evocative, often mystical style. Much of it was written “in polar conditions in a dingy, unheated [North Scotland hotel] room working in an overcoat,” Other achievements in 1929 included the first recording of his Viola Sonata, with Lionel Tertis, and the premiere performance of his Symphony No.2 on 13 December in Boston, USA.

The overall impact of the Legend is straightforward. It is in a single movement, lasting for around ten minutes, and ostensibly in E minor, though with considerable chromaticism. The piece develops in three sections. It is characterised by rich harmonies and expressive melodies for both the viola and the piano. The Legend is a balance between Bax’s dreamy longing and episodes of disturbing malice. Throughout, he evokes a deep sense of narrative and wide-ranging emotion, which was typical of the composer. Yet, there is a dense, sinister atmosphere at times in this piece, especially at the beginning. This introverted mood gradually dissipates as the work progresses, before coming to a positive and satisfying conclusion.

The first performance of Legend for viola and piano was given at the Aeolian Hall, London on 7 December 1929. The soloists were Lionel Tertis, viola, and Arnold Bax, piano.

The Times (9 December 1929, p.10) reporter was not impressed by the organisation of the recital. He considered that “it certainly would have been better to have played the Mozart Sonata (K.305) later instead of at the beginning, to give Mr. Tertis time to feel completely at home: for once his playing did not show the expected clarity and ease.” Another reason was “the fact that…[the Mozart Sonata’s] delicate character would have stood out better against the general atmosphere of solemnity created by Brahms, op. 120, No.1.”  Other music heard at this recital included John Ireland’s Sonata No.2 in A minor and his The Holy Boy as well as the Tartini–Kreisler Fugue, W. H. Reed's Rhapsody, and a Fantasia by York Bowen for four violas. In this latter number, Tertis was assisted by Rebecca Clarke, Dorothy Derbyshire-Jones, and Winifred Copperwheat. Turning to the Legend, the unsigned critic, (possibly H.C. Colles) felt that “Mr. Bax's work is well laid out, and it was well played, and its rather gloomy mood might perhaps have been more acceptable with brighter and more cheerful surroundings.”  Overall, during the recital there was “less opportunity than usual in this scheme of admiring the remarkable variety of tone which Mr. Tertis can obtain from his instrument, and it must be confessed that the sombre colouring which prevailed did rather tend to become monotonous.”

The Daily Telegraph (9 December 1929, p.6) critic Ferruccio Bonavia, considered that “The first performance of Mr. Arnold Bax's Legend…added considerably to its interest; for, if original compositions for other instruments are far from common, original compositions for viola are exceedingly rare.” He stated that “As could be expected from so distinguished a composer, the Legend exploits effectively the genius of the instrument without, however, placing this before musical and aesthetic considerations. The solo part is far from easy, but there is no opportunity for acrobatics. The tests to which the interpreter must submit are of a different nature; tone quality, phrasing - these are the chief requisites of this highly imaginative work which Mr. Tertis appeared to understand in perfection. The piano part was played by the composer himself, and both composer and interpreter were warmly applauded by the audience.”

John White (2006, p.114) quoted Rebecca Clarke’s diary, where she lamented the “Poor audience and he (Tertis) didn’t seem very happy.” He then quotes a review from the Musical Times (January 1930, p.69) “The new Legend for viola and pianoforte by Arnold Bax which Mr. Lionel Tertis introduced at his concert at Aeolian Hall on December 7 [1929], is in one continuous movement. A first, and single hearing impresses it on the memory as being in the rich style of shifting harmonic colour that Bax now most often uses. The viola part, played in this instance with Mr. Tertis’s astonishing mastery and exquisite control of tone, is free and dramatic.”

Listen to Arnold Bax’s Legend for viola and piano on YouTube, here. The performers are Martin Outram (viola) and Julian Rolton (piano) on Naxos: 8.557784

Bibliography:
White, John, Lionel Tertis: The First Great Virtuoso of the Viola, The Boydell Press, 2006

A Happy and Prosperous New Year

To All Readers of

The Land of Lost Content

Some Significant (and less so) Composer Anniversaries for 2025:

 Bi-Centenaries:

William Baly

Mary Gabriel

Kate Loder

Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley

150 Years:

Samuel Coleridge Taylor

Albert Ketèlbey

Sydney H Nicholson

Norman O’Neill

Cyril Rootham

Martin Shaw

Donald Tovey

William Gillies Whittaker

Centenaries:

Tristram Cary

Ronald [Ron] Goodwin

Anthony Milner

Daphne Oram

 Continental Composers Anniversaries

Johann II Strauss (200)

Reinhold Glière (150)

Reynaldo Hahn (150)

Maurice Ravel (150)

Pierre Boulez (100)

Luciano Berio (100)

Gunther Alexander Schuller (100)

Looking at the above list of British composer anniversaries, the only one that will resonate with concertgoers is Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875-1912). Already reasonably well represented on CD and regularly heard on Classic FM, this year could be a good opportunity to get to know his music better. Surely at least one performance of the epic The Song of Hiawatha will be given a concert performance. Other works that may be heard are the Christmas Overture, the Petite Suite de Concert, and his Nonet in F minor. I wonder if there will be a place for the Symphony in A minor or the Violin Concerto in G minor at this year’s Proms?

Albert Ketelbey’s (1875-1959) short pieces of light music have clung on over the years. I guess that In a Persian Market, Bells Across the Meadow or In a Chinese Temple Garden may be heard over the coming weeks. Perhaps the Cockney Suite may be revived?

Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson (1875-1947) was an influential English choir director, organist, and composer. He founded the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) and compiled The Parish Psalter. Educated at New College, Oxford, and the Royal College of Music, he served as organist at Westminster Abbey and edited the Hymns Ancient and Modern supplement. Nicholson's hymn tunes, like "Crucifer" for "Lift High the Cross", remain popular in Anglican churches. It is unlikely that his choral ballets Ivry and The Luck of Edenhall will be resurrected.

It would be good if one or two of Norman O’Neill’s (1875-1934) numerous suites of incidental music were to be rediscovered. I am thinking of the score written for J.M. Barrie’s play Mary Rose. But he also wrote much chamber music, some of which has been recorded. And then there is the Overture: In the Springtime and A Scotch Rhapsody.

Cyril Rootham (1875-1938) was an English composer, educator, and organist. He was a Fellow and organist at St John's College, Cambridge, where he significantly influenced English music through his innovative programming with the Cambridge University Musical Society. Rootham composed two symphonies, much chamber music, choral works, and an opera, The Two Sisters. His contributions to music education and his revival of neglected works left a deep legacy in British music. His gorgeous setting of W.B. Yeats’s The Stolen Child or his choral City in the West [Bristol] could be revived.

Martin Shaw (1875-1958) was an English composer, conductor, and theatre producer. He is remembered for his contributions to church music, including editing Songs of Praise and The Oxford Book of Carols. Shaw composed over three hundred works, including hymns, carols, oratorios, and instrumental pieces. Hus work significantly influenced the revival of traditional English church music.

Best known for his seminal volumes of Essays in Musical Analysis, which set a high standard for music criticism, Sir Donald Francis Tovey (1875-1940) was a British musical analyst, musicologist, writer, composer, conductor, and pianist. Tovey made significant contributions to music education as Reid Professor of Music at the University of Edinburgh, where he founded the Reid Symphony Orchestra. His editions of works by Bach and Beethoven remain influential. Sadly, his compositions are precious few, though several have been recorded in recent times. This includes his Cello Concerto, Piano Concerto and Symphony in D major. Will he be recalled in concerts given this year by the prestigious Scottish Orchestras? I am not holding my breath…

William Gillies Whittaker (1876-1944) was a prominent English composer, pedagogue, conductor, musicologist, Bach scholar, publisher, and writer. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he initially studied science but later pursued music. Whittaker made significant contributions to British music, particularly through his work with the Newcastle Bach Choir and the Scottish National Academy of Music. He was best known for his arrangements of northern folk songs and his efforts to elevate music education. Whittaker's legacy includes his role as General Editor for Oxford University Press's Educational Music Department. He was also a friend and correspondent with Gustav Holst.

Works that could be revived in this his sesquicentennial year could include the remarkable Among the Northumbrian Hill for piano and string quartet (1922), his A Lyke-Wake Dirge for chorus and orchestra (1925).

Going back in time, I doubt there will be major celebrations for William Baly (1825-91). Born in Warwick he studied at the Royal Academy of Music with William Sterndale Bennett and Cipriani Potter. According to the British Music Society Composer Profiles (third edition, 2012) he composed a symphony, a string quartet, piano pieces, and part-songs.

Mary Gabriel (1825-77) is not a name known to listeners. In her day, she was famous for her many songs of which she composed more than three hundred. Her catalogue also included cantatas, and seven operettas, some with intriguing titles: Widows Bewitched, The Lion’s Mouth, Lost and Found, The Shepherd of Cornouailles and Who’s the Heir. Perhaps her Glamis Castle Waltz could be resurrected by an enterprising pianist. It might be a bit naïve, but it would make a good encore.

Kate Loder (1825-1904) was an English composer and pianist. Born in Bath, she was the daughter of flautist George Loder and piano teacher Frances Kirkham. Loder studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where she became the first female professor of harmony. She composed piano music, songs, and choral works. Loder married surgeon Henry Thompson in 1851 and gradually shifted from performing to composing and teaching. Her students included notable musicians, and her contributions to music education were significant.

Sir Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley (1825-1889) was an English composer, organist, musicologist, and priest. He showed musical talent from an early age, composing an opera aged eight. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and was ordained in 1849. Ouseley founded St Michael's College in Tenbury Wells in 1856 designed to elevate Anglican church music standards. He served as Heather Professor of Music at Oxford and Precentor of Hereford Cathedral. His works include oratorios, anthems, and hymns, and he contributed to the revival of church music in England. I guess that the odd anthem at one of the Three Choir Cathedrals would be welcome.

I would be surprised if there is a big splash of events commemorating the centenaries of Tristram Cary (1925-2008) or Daphne Oram (1925-2003). Which is a pity, as both participated in the development of electronic music in the UK. Cary is best recalled for his film score to The Ladykillers, starring Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, and for his music for Doctor Who’s Dalek films. Oram was a co-founder of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) is remembered for his film scores, especially the Miss Marple films featuring Margaret Rutherford, Where Eagles Dare and Force Ten from Navarone. But his greatest success was 633 Squadron, based on a fictional WW2 bomber squadron.

Bristol-born Anthony Milner (1925-2002) was a British composer, teacher, and conductor. He studied at the Royal College of Music, Herbert Fryer for piano and music theory with R. O. Morris. Milner’s compositions evolved from early influences by Michael Tippett, eventually finding his own voice within an essentially tonal style. His choral works, often with religious texts, stand out, and he also wrote orchestral and chamber music. It would be splendid to hear one of his choral works, such as Roman Spring, or his Symphony No.1.

Finally, I think that there may be celebrations here and abroad for Maurice Ravel. To what extent the centenaries of Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio and Gunther Alexander Schuller will be honoured in the UK is anyone’s guess.

Liza Lehmann: Cobweb Castle for piano (1908)

For many non-Christians, Christmas represents a cultural festivity rather than a religious one. It is a time for family gatherings, exchanging gifts, feasting, and enjoying the atmosphere of joy and goodwill. It is also about taking a break from everyday routines, enjoying festive decorations, and participating in community traditions. For some, the holiday season is less about belief and more about celebrating togetherness and the end of the year. It might mean something different to each person, but it tends to be a period of giving, reflections, and festive fun.

One pleasure that many indulge in is the pantomime, with productions such as Cinderella, Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk. These are all derived from ancient fairy tales from a variety of countries. And then there are the Christmas films, such as It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas. The ballet is occasionally part of the celebrations, with performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, based on a folk tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Readers, including myself, may turn to the Charles Dickens’s Christmas Tales, including A Christmas Carol, in which people are shown to have a duty to take care of one another, to uphold values of charity, compassion, and forgiveness. We can but try!

All through these ‘secular’ delights is a sense of wonder and magic. Fairy tales vie with religious truths to entertain and inspire us. Liza Lehmann’s delightful piano suite Cobweb Castle (1908) is redolent of cosy nights by the fireside, lost romances and half-remembered, slightly scary, ghost stories. As the imagery of the title implies, these six pieces are frozen in time. Like a lost castle in a dark secret wood, they are just beyond our reach.

Liza Lehmann (1862-1918) was an English soprano and composer, known for her songs. Born in London, she was the daughter of painter Rudolf Lehmann and music teacher Amelia Chambers. After vocal studies with Alberto Randegger and Jenny Lind, and composition studies with Hamish MacCunn, she made her singing debut in 1885. She pursued a concert career for a decade before marrying musician Herbert Bedford in 1894 and focusing on composition. Lehmann wrote songs, children's music, and stage works, including the song cycle In a Persian Garden (1896). She was the first president of the Society of Women Musicians and a professor of singing at the Guildhall School of Music

The Suite opens with the almost impressionistic In the Owl’s Turret, which creates a dreamy mood. The middle section is just that little bit more insistent.

Fly Away, Ladybird is a delightful bit of whimsy. It evokes the fact that her “house is on fire, and your children have flown:” a nursery rhyme text quoted in the score. It is signed to be played ‘leggiero” which suits the mood. There are some lovely arpeggios in the ‘trio’ section.

The inspiration for By the Sundial is surely Sir Edward Elgar. It opens quietly, before the main theme is explored, ‘a little stately.’ There are lots of octave chords in the right hand, with added sixths, giving a rich, romantic feel.

The fourth number, A Legend is a little rondo. Here Lehmann tells her story with slight digressions. There is no suggestion as to what the story might be about, except that it is to be played ‘misterioso.’ It is not a gripping tale, but just a little spooky yarn by the fireside.

Evensong, written in a steady cantabile, may well conjure up a service in a candlelit church, with the organ playing melancholically. Yet, this is more of a nocturnal meditation, rather than liturgical. Once again there are hints of Elgar in these pages.

The finale would appear to be the most difficult movement. My Lady’s Jester requires the soloist to make several well-judged glissandi, to compliment an almost Billy Mayerl-like dance. There is a reflective middle section before concluding with a little bit of musical onomatopoeia with eleven forceful, repeated chords, Ha, Ha, Ha...

The entire suite captures the playful and imaginative essence of a forgotten, imaginary castle, displaying Lehmann's lyrical and evocative style. It is a charming work that highlights her ability to create vivid musical imagery.

The liner notes to the only available recording of Cobweb Castle, explains that Lehmann “always complained that her serious music wasn’t given much consideration.” The author assumes that this suite falls into that category. Strangely, she did not mention it in her memoirs, The Life of Liza Lehmann, by Herself, published posthumously in 1919.

Liza Lehmann’s Cobweb Castle can be heard on YouTube, here. It is played by a gentleman called “Julian.” It comes complete with score. A commercial recording was made by Michael Stairs and was released on the Direct to Tape Recording Company, DTR9701. Other works featured on this CD include Haydn Wood’s Mood Suite, H. Balfour Gardiner’s Five Pieces, Billy Mayerl’s Four Aces Suite, and Autumn Crocus, Hubert Bath’s Cornish Rhapsody, as well as the title track, O Dear! What can the matter be? by Felix Swinstead.

 

A Merry Christmas

To All Readers and Followers of

'The Land of Lost Content'

The Nativity Robert Campin (c.1375-1444)

The Adoration of the Shepherds in the Presence of the Midwives

The Snow in the Street

From far away we come to you.

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

To tell of great tidings, strange and true.

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

From far away we come to you,

To tell of great tidings, strange and true.

For as we wandered far and wide,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

What hap do you deem there should us betide?

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

Under a bent when the night was deep,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

There lay three shepherds, tending their sheep.

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

“O ye shepherds, what have ye seen,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

To stay your sorrow and heal your teen?”

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

“In an ox stall this night we saw,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

A Babe and a maid without a flaw.

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

“There was an old man there beside;

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

His hair was white, and his hood was wide.

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

“And as we gazed this thing upon,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

Those twain knelt down to the little one.

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

“And a marvellous song we straight did hear,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

‘That slew our sorrow and healed our care.”

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

News of a fair and marvellous thing,

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, we sing.

Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor.

From far away we come to you,

To tell of great tidings, strange and true.

William Morris (1834-96)

Hidden Holst VII: Symphony in F, op.8 ‘The Cotswolds’

For my final post about the lesser-known music of Gustav Holst, I decided on the ‘Cotswold Symphony.’ Two days later, I heard an early morning performance of the fourth movement of this work on Classic fM. So, it is not so hidden after all!

Since becoming interested in British Music, back in the early 1970s, this was a piece that I knew about and wanted to hear. It was not until the release of the Classico CD in 1999 that I was able to get to grips with it. At first, I was a little disappointed, in that it did not fulfil my naïve expectations of a pastoral evocation of that delightful part of England. Yet, over the past 25 years, my opinion of this work has increased dramatically.

It was composed around the turn of the century, between 1899 and 1900, with Holst completing it in Skegness, Lincolnshire on 24 July 1900. The symphony was premiered in the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth on 24 April 1902 by the innovative Sir Dan Godfrey and the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra.

The Symphony is written in four stylistically unbalanced movements, and for some, this may spoil its impact. The opening Allegro con brio does nod to the countryside - with allusions to, if not direct quotes from, English folk song. It is a ‘march’ that fairly romps along.

The second movement is the deeply moving Elegy (In Memoriam William Morris). This is a shadowy, unsmiling piece that is funereal in its exposition. It is conceived as a processional- with a massive climax in the middle section. I am not a huge fan of Morris’s escapism, however, there is nothing of the daydream about this music. It has been suggested that this was Holst’s response to the Boer War rather than the writer, artist, and utopian socialist activist. This ‘Wagnerian’ movement functions perfectly in a standalone performance.

The equilibrium is wrenched back to lighter matters with the Scherzo which balances the ‘will o’ the wisp’ with a little ‘clodhopping.’ It is a good essay in creating all the fun of the ‘fairground.’ There are a few moments of a more serious nature amongst the celebration.

The Finale is a joy. It is a fusion of the world of folksong once again and of Johannes Brahms and Holst’s teacher at the RCM, Charles Villiers Stanford. Yet, this is well-written, and Lewis Foreman (Liner notes, Classico CLASSCD 284) has suggested that it has all the trappings of “a harvest hymn, a celebration at the end of the country people’s annual cycle.”

Imogen Holst (The Music of Gustav Holst and Holst's Music Reconsidered, OUP, 1986) has intimated that: “[Holst’s] biggest work at this time was the ‘Cotswolds Symphony.’ It was meant to express his deep love of the Cotswold hills, but his feelings are scarcely recognizable. Searching for a symbol of the English countryside he found nothing to build on except the imitation Tudor heartiness of Edward German. It was a makeshift symbol, and having borrowed it, he hardly knew what to do with it, beyond placing it in the approved mould, and hoping it would turn out all right. The first movement makes all the correct gestures and travels in the appropriate directions, but it bears no resemblance to the journey of his mind while walking the stretch of hills between Wyck Rissington and Bourton-on-the-Water. The slow movement, an Elegy in memory of William Morris has moments in it where the intensity of his thought breaks through the inadequacies of his language. Here the words ‘senza espress’ make their first appearance, showing the beginnings of a line of thought that was to lead him through the ‘dead’ pp of Neptune to the mysterious monotony of Egdon Heath. It is by far the best movement in the work. There is nothing characteristic about the Scherzo except the fact that its tune is built on a structure of melodic fourths, while in the last movement he is back once again in a surge of chromatic modulations and striving sequences. There was to be no escape from their clutches for many years to come.”

For me, although I understand that the Cotswold Symphony was a ‘prentice work, it is tuneful, engaging, often exuberant and occasionally deeply moving. It deserves more than an occasional outing in concert halls.

Discography:
Holst, Gustav, Symphony in F major, op. 8, H47, ‘The Cotswolds,’ Munich Symphony Orchestra/Douglas Bostock, Classico CLASSCD 284 (1999)

Holst, Gustav, Symphony in F major, op. 8, H47, ‘The Cotswolds,’ Ulster Orchestra JoAnn Falletta, Naxos 8.572914 (2011)

Gustav Holst’s Symphony in F, op.8 can be heard on YouTube, here. This is the Ulster Orchestra version.

Eric Coates: Cinderella - A Phantasy for Orchestra (1929)

One of the best loved (non-biblical) Christmas stories is Cinderella. It will be the focus of many pantomimes up and down the country as well as showings of the Disney film (1950) on TV. There may even be performances of Prokofiev’s eponymous ballet score or the opera La Cenerentola (1817) by Gioachino Rossini.

Eric Coates’s’ (1886-1957) Cinderella was the third work to have been inspired by his wife Phyl’s bedtimes stories told to their son Austin. The other two were The Selfish Giant (1925) and The Three Bears.

Cinderella was completed at Selsey House on 9 September 1929. The Daily Express, (1 July 1937) explains that some of the work’s orchestration was done during a bridge party. (cited Payne, 2012, p.81). It was premiered on 28 November during an Eastbourne Festival Concert. I was unable to find a review of this concert. However, Geoffrey Self explains that the composer conducted, and the “work was rapturously received by the audience and, with unqualified approbation by the critics.” (Self, 1986, p.45). Coates “held the Phantasy in the highest regard, informing the conductor Joseph Lewis: ‘I think it is really the best thing I have done...’”

The orchestral and piano scores were published in 1930 by Chappell. One significant feature are the notes included in the score explaining the events in his musical interpretation of the story. It carries the following note: “This Phantasy, dedicated to the "Cinderella" of our imagination, can be performed either as a concert piece or as a ballet.” The work is scored for a normal full orchestra with a wide range of percussion. The piece lasts about thirteen minutes.

The piano score of Cinderella gives a detailed synopsis of the Phantasy:

"Opening with a quiet unaccompanied melody (andante 4/4) Cinderella is discovered sitting sadly alone by the fire. A little four-note phrase, repeated several times, then gives us the keynote of the piece - the Fairy Godmother's call "Cinderella!" This is followed by an agitato 12/8, where the Fairy Godmother calls her attendants, who dress Cinderella for the ball. The fairy coach arrives, and she is driven away (allegro 2/ 4), the reiterated chords in the right hand representing the ponies' hoofs. A change in the character of the music (a descending chromatic phrase, aptly illustrating her sinking heart) shows a moment of anxiety for Cinderella, which soon disappears as she nears the Palace. Upon her arrival in the ballroom, we hear the music of the dance in full swing. She surveys the dancers, and the music broadens as the Prince sees her and enraptured by her beauty, approaches, asking her to dance. She hesitates shyly for a moment (rall.), and then she and the Prince dance together to the principal valse theme (valse lento). This works up to a climax, at the height of which the striking of the midnight hour is heard. Through this comes the Fairy Godmother's call of "Cinderella!" - a fully harmonised version of the original "Cinderella" call. A rapid ascending chromatic scale shows Cinderella running from the ballroom to her fairy coach, leaving one little slipper at the Prince's feet.

Two pause bars, tremolo dying down to a pp., mark the passing of time, and we find ourselves back once more with Cinderella at the fireside. The original melody of the introduction, now accompanied by quiet tremolo chords, denotes her loneliness. She fancies she hears her Fairy Godmother calling to her again, and dreams of the Prince. The Prince's drummers and trumpeters are heard in the distance. He is searching the town for the owner of the little slipper. This fanfare leads to a tempo di marcia, a humorous little march which, commencing p., as if in the distance, increases in power and fullness as the Prince and his retinue approach, reaching the climax as they enter Cinderella's house. A sudden diminuendo and we hear the Fairy Godmother's call of "Cinderella" while Cinderella's sisters are vainly trying on the slipper. We now return to the Valse theme, but this time in 4/4, broadly, and the final climax is reached as the shoe slips on to Cinderella's little foot. The phantasy finishes with a brief return to the march theme (allegro molto), and they all live happily ever after."

The work opens with a nod to Debussy’s Prélude à l'aprés-midi d'un Faune, before a more typical Coates sound gets underway. The listener will note the little four-note phrase (E, Eb, D, G) that mimics the Fairy Godmother calling ‘Cin-der-ella.’ All the usual Coates fingerprints are present in this piece – gentle syncopation, good orchestration, and memorable tunes. Often waltzes and marches are the underlying formal principle. Two important waltzes emerge, firstly, the sweep of the ball in full progress and secondly a “slower sensuous” dance as the Prince and Cinders meet. The climax of the work is reached when the clock strikes midnight. It is interesting to note that at the conclusion of the Phantasy, the slow waltz is revisited, but this time in a forceful and romantic 4/4 time.

Although Coates’s work was conceived as a tone poem or Phantasy for the concert hall, there are many elements of this piece that will strike the listener as being ideal ballet music.

One last footnote. Cinderella was used in the British drama film, Symphony in Two Flats (1930). This starred Ivor Novello. Coates had previously agreed with the BBC to broadcast the work on 28 January 1930. However, the film’s directors were “anxious that the public did not hear Coates’ music before the release of the film.”  Coates asked for the piece to be excluded from the BBC concert. (Payne, 2012, p.81).

Listen to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by Rumon Gamba on Chandos CHAN9869, 2002, here.

Bibliography:
Self, Geoffrey, In town tonight: A centenary study of the life and music of Eric Coates, Thames Publishing, 1986.
Payne, Michael, The Life and Music of Eric Coates, Farnham, Ashgate, 2012.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: An Oxford Christmas - Arrangements from The Oxford Book of Carols

In his October 2021 review, here, John Quinn gives a detailed background to, and assessment of, this exceptional recording. He comments on the carols and gives his opinion on performances. I do not intend to give a detailed commentary on each carol.

This disc majors on a selection from The Oxford Book of Carols (OBC) which was published in 1928. The volume was edited textually by the Anglican High Church priest, Christian socialist, and liturgist Percy Dearmer, and musically by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Martin Shaw. Four of the carols had original tunes by RVW, with numerous others arranged by him. Certainly, at that time, the book was seen as a crucial part of the revival of plainchant and folksong. Containing more than two hundred numbers, it was a companion to the exceptional English Hymnal.

Hidden among these carols lie many undiscovered gems, demanding a fresh audience. The advertising flyer suspects that ten out of the twenty-two tracks are making their debut recordings on this 2021 disc.

The OBC contains a valuable preface, running to more than twenty pages, with lore, the history of the carol as genre as well as a dissertation on their use. Footnotes are given to many numbers often giving details about text and tune. The overarching ethos of performance is laid out in the preface: “Variety in the method of singing is even more important than with hymns, and the verses should never be sung straight through all in the same way.’  To this end, William Vann and the choir perform these carols with a mixture of accompanied, unaccompanied and solo verses.

I found these a masterclass in sensitive performance, precise diction, and excellent balance. I agree with John Quinn that “there isn’t a dud among them.” 

The Choir of the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and their director William Vann are no strangers to Albion Records. Recent contributions have included Carols from Herefordshire (ALBCD064) and A Christmas Fantasia: Carols and Fantasies (ALBCD063). In 2019, A Vaughan Williams Christmas was released (ALBCD035, reviewed here)

The booklet includes a valuable introduction to the OBC written by Jeremy Summerley. John Francis has provided the detailed notes on each carol. All texts are included. The CD cover features a picture of the Coming of the Magi from the ceiling of St. Jude’s Church, painted by Walter Starmer between 1909 and 1935. Details of the choir and their director are given.

At first, I wondered why the four carols with original RVW tunes were not given here. However, I realised that they were included in the A Vaughan Williams Christmas. I have not examined this disc.

Two other carols, not in the OBC are included, O My Dear Heart God dating from 1943 and   Bless the Master of This House, published in 1946.It is fair to suggest that a significant percentage of these carols will never be sung by a congregation or by wassailers in the street. Most require a body of trained singers to give a fine rendition of each piece. And the organist, Joshua Ryan, should not be forgotten: he participates faithfully in about half of these carols.

This is an enjoyable account of many (mainly) Christmas carols, old favourites in new guises and some hidden gems.

Track Listing:
Sussex Mummers’ Carol
Hereford Carol
Solo: Tom Castle
A Virgin Most Pure
Solo: Eloise Irving
Sussex Carol (Second Tune)
Solo: Angus McPhee
Gloucestershire Wassail
Solos: Leah Jackson, Jonathan Hanley
The Salutation Carol
Solos: Eloise Irving, Jonathan Beatty
The Bellman’s Song (Third Tune)
Solo: Angus McPhee
Job (Come All You Worthy Christian Men – Third Tune)
This Endris Night
Solo: Angus McPhee
Sussex Carol (First Tune)
Coverdale’s Carol
Song of the Crib
Solos: Katy Hill, Jonathan Hanley, Adrian Horsewood
Children’s Song of the Nativity
Solo: Katy Hill
If Ye Would Hear the Angels Sing
Solo: Katy Hill
Quem Pastores - Shepherds Left Their Flocks A-Straying
The Bellman’s Song (Second Tune)
Solo: Eleanor Minney
Joseph and Mary
Solo: Thomas Stoddart
Job (Come All You Worthy Christian Men – Fourth Tune)
The Seven Virgins
Solos: Jenni Harper and Jonathan Hanley
Psalm of Sion
Solo: Katy Hill
O My Dear Heart
God Bless the Master of This House
Choir of the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea/William Vann
Joshua Ryan (organ)
rec. 22-23 October 2020 and 17 June 2021, St. Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London
Texts included
ALBION RECORDS ALBCD050

William Alwyn: Three Winter Poems (1948)

As winter gets into full swing, readers will have mixed views on the weather. On the one hand it is romantic to have a “traditional” White Christmas: I can only recall enjoying about three in the past sixty-odd years. On the other hand, travel by car, train and foot will be much easier without snow and ice. Yet, there will be chilly days ahead. William Alwyn’s (1905-85) Three Winter Poems for string quartet give us a perfect musical evocation of the season.

These miniatures were composed during the early months of 1948 but were not heard until the premiere by the Maraini String Quartet at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on 1 June 2005. Alwyn produced sixteen works for string quartet, many written before the Second World War. There are three numbered examples, with the first being completed in 1953. At the same time, Alwyn was employed on the short score of his Symphony No.1, as well as finishing the Sonata for flute and piano and the Concerto Grosso No.2.

Three Winter Poems were dedicated to the Scottish composer and educator John Blackwood McEwen who died on 14 June 1948. He served as professor of harmony and composition at the Royal Academy of Music from 1898 to 1924, and as principal from 1924 to 1936. McEwen was a prolific composer, though his music remains little appreciated, even in his native country. He was known for his exacting teaching style and his contributions to British music education. McEwen was knighted in 1931 and left a legacy through his students and compositions. One of these pupils was William Alwyn.

Three Winter Poems thoughtfully explore several moods: Winter Landscape, Elegy – Frozen Waters and Serenade – Snow Shower. There is no suggestion that there was a literary inspiration behind these miniatures. Andrew Knowles (SOMMCD 0194) has stated that these Poems are “self-explanatory and vividly portray the wintry mood most tellingly. No doubt Alwyn’s experience in writing evocative scores for the cinema (he had written about one hundred soundtracks by this time) played its part in the creation of this charming work.”

Ewan McCormick, reviewing Naxos 8.570340, for MusicWeb International (9 September 2007) has suggested that the “music eloquently captures the coldness and desolation implied by the title. It is not dissimilar to Delius’s North Country Sketches in that respect. This does not however preclude an element of passion in the central Elegy.”

Evaluating the same CD, William Kreindler (MusicWeb International 7 December 2007) has stated that “The ‘Winter Landscape’ is exactly that - a perfect recollection of what one feels in the winter. The second piece is full of suppressed turbulence - waiting for the ice to crack. The instruments are beautifully used here. There is a more elegiac tone at the end. In the last piece a little of the tension is dissipated.”

Discography:

Alwyn, William, Three Winter Poems, with String Quartet, No.1, No.2 and No.3, Razumovsky Quartet, Dutton Epoch CDLX 7168, 2006.

Alwyn, William, Three Winter Poems, with Rhapsody for piano quartet, Sonata-Impromptu for violin and viola, Ballade for viola and piano, Two Songs for voice, violin and piano, Three Songs to Poems by Trevor Blakemore, Sonatina for viola and piano, Various artists, Naxos 8.570340, 2007

Alwyn, William, Three Winter Poems, with String Quartet No.3; Doreen Carwithen String Quartets No.1 and No.2, Tippett Quartet, SOMMCD 0194, 2019

Carols from Herefordshire

This remarkable new recording closes an important gap in Ralph Vaughan Williams discography. For the first time, the complete score of the Carols from Herefordshire has been recorded. Let me explain.

During July 1908, RVW met the folklorist Ella Mary Leather (1874-1928) in the quaint Herefordshire village of Weobley. Ella had used a phonograph to record local worthies singing folksongs. The composer’s job was to transcribe these cylinders. He would make further visits in 1912 and 1913.

In 1920 the score of Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire was published by Stainer and Bell. Unusually, it contained two versions: the original for voice and piano and RVW’s arrangement for SATB (four-part choir). The score is prefaced by an explanatory note: “The object of this volume is not scientific but artistic; it is simply to preserve these carols in a form in which they can be sung by those who value our traditional songs and melodies. The Editors have therefore not hesitated (while keeping as much of the original text as possible) to emend corruptions in the words, to correct grammatical errors and to supply missing lines and verses from other sources.” On the other hand, the tunes were transcribed exactly as heard.

The first half of the disc is devoted to the choral version of these carols, whilst the second features the same carols sung by Derek Welton, accompanied on the piano by Iain Burnside.

What of the carols themselves? They fall into various thematic groupings. To be sure, the greater number are concerned with Christmas. In other cases, their theology can be a little stretched, for not only are biblical sources used, but apocryphal lore and a degree of native moralising. Look at The Holy Well, which is heard in two versions. Here, in the underlying legend, the young Jesus drowned his snobbish playmates. Not so in the carol, the story has been bowdlerised, but it is still a treatise of class consciousness. Then there is the poor farmer forced to work On Christmas Day and is struck down by Jesus. Christmas Now is Drawing Near at Hand presents much theological moralising. More traditional fare is found in The Angel Gabriel, New Year’s Carol and Joseph and Mary. The Miraculous Harvest (or The Carnal and the Crane) is based on “mediaeval poems and on apocryphal gospels going back to the first millennium.” The Carnal probably refers to a crow. Of interest is God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, with a vastly different tune to that which we are used to.

Other carols that are not associated with the Season include Dives and Lazarus, The Saviour’s Love and The Seven Virgins.

The present recording has wisely omitted some verses in a few of these carols. This is especially so when they would become a burden for singers and audience alike.

The excellent booklet notes have been assembled by John Francis. They provide a detailed account of the work’s genesis, a biography of Mary Leather, notes on each carol and the texts. Resumes of the performers are included. The CD cover is Vittore Carpaccio’s sumptuous painting, The Flight into Egypt, c. 1515 currently on display in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA.

In 2011, Derek Welton and Iain Burnside recorded the voice and piano edition for Albion Records. It was issued on On Christmas Day – Folk-Carols and Folksongs: Arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (ALBCD013, short review here).

William Vann and the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea have already made an important contribution to RWW’s legacy. This includes three Christmas albums: A Vaughan Williams Christmas (ALBCD035, reviewed here), An Oxford Christmas (ALBCD050, reviewed here) and A Christmas Fantasia: Carols and Fantasies (ALBCD063).

The performances by the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea under their director William Vann are exquisite. Equally delightful is Derek Welton’s and Iain Burnside’s rendition of the arrangement for voice and piano.

Despite not all the carols being concerned with the Yuletide Season, this lovely CD makes an ideal Christmas present for all enthusiasts of RVW’s music as well as those who have an ear to the ground for traditional English folksongs.

Track Listing:
Carols from Herefordshire (1920)
For unaccompanied SATB
The Holy Well (First Version)
Solo: Helen Ashby
The Holy Well (Second Version)
Christmas Now Is Drawing Near at Hand
Solo: Jonathan Hanley
Joseph and Mary
Solo: Edward Hughes
The Angel Gabriel
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
New Year’s Carol
Solo: Katy Hill
On Christmas Day
Solo: Eloise Irving
Dives and Lazarus
The Miraculous Harvest
Solos: Eloise Irving, Samuel Jenkins
The Saviour’s Love
The Seven Virgins

For voice and piano
The Holy Well (First Version)
The Holy Well (Second Version)
Christmas Now Is Drawing Near at Hand
Joseph and Mary
The Angel Gabriel
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
New Year’s Carol
On Christmas Day
Dives and Lazarus
The Miraculous Harvest
The Saviour’s Love
The Seven Virgins
Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea/William Vann
Derek Welton (bass-baritone), Iain Burnside (piano)
rec. 12-13 February 2024, Holy Trinity, Sloane Square, London (SATB); 19-21 May 2011 Potton Hall, Suffolk (Voice and piano)
Texts included.
Albion ALBCD064

Keep In with The Accompanist: A Handelian Tale

This story may not be true, but it is a bit of fun! It is typical of Handel’s wit, and his inability to suffer fools gladly. I apologise in advance for the replication of the composer’s pidgin English.

"It is good policy for a singer to keep "on the good side of" his accompanist. A really fine accompanist is a rare bird. Besides the technical skill necessary to a soloist, an accompanist must have the finest musical feeling and discrimination, and at the same time sacrifice himself to the interests of the singer. And oftentimes the accompanist must shoulder the sins of the singer. It is an easy way to relieve oneself from the blame of a "bad break" by charging the fault to the accompanist. A singer once tried this with Handel, and declared that if Handel didn't accompany him better, he should jump over onto the harpsichord where the player sat and smash it.

Said Handel: " Let me know ven you vill do dot, and I vill adverdise id. I am sure more beoble will come to see you shump as vill come to hear you sing." He didn't jump."

From Anecdotes of Great Musicians by W. Francis Gates (1896), with minor edits.

A Christmas Fantasia: Carols and Fantasies

The publicity flyer for this CD reminds the listener that this is the third Christmas album issued by William Vann and the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. (ALBCD035, A Vaughan Williams Christmas and ALBCD050, An Oxford Christmas). In this present disc, they explore several carols and fantasias by Ralph Vaughan Williams, his friends, and former pupils. The one exception is the new Carol by the choir’s current director of music.

There is a Little Door by Herbert Howells is a perennial favourite. This sets a text by Francis Chesterton, the wife of the poet and writer G.K. Chesterton. This carol was composed in 1918 at the end of the First World War. In the closing stanza, this seemingly pastoral verse undergoes a transformation - a shift from an idyllic countryside to the battlefield. The poet reimagines the Magi’s gifts not as symbols of peace but as offerings to the fallen.

No collection of carols would be complete without John Ireland’s The Holy Boy. Originally the third of Four Preludes for piano (pub.1917) it has been “dished up” in quite a few arrangements, including orchestral, chamber and brass ensemble. In 1941, Ireland set words by solicitor and gifted amateur musician, Herbert Sydney Brown, to the tune. It is always a pleasure to hear.

Two carols by Rebecca Clarke are included. The first, a vivid realisation of verses from the anonymous fifteenth-century English carol, There is no Rose (1928). The equilibrium between the solo baritone and the soprano-less choir is ideal. This is followed by a gratefully contrapuntal Ave Maria (c.1937) for sopranos and altos only, nodding to Palestrina.

The current director of the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, William Vann contributes the simply titled Carol. This is a setting of the poet/composer Ivor Gurney’s poem “Winter now has bared the trees” from the volume Severn & Somme (1917). The liner notes admit that this is a pastiche of Gerald Finzi, Herbert Howells and RVW. Whatever its antecedents, this is a perfectly well-wrought and effective fusion of text and music, creating a perfect balance between the cold season and the “warmth and joy of Christian camaraderie.” No date of composition is given.

I guess few people will have heard Cecil Armstrong Gibbs Christmas cantata, A Saviour Born, however, many singers who use the ubiquitous Carols for Choirs I (1961) will be familiar with his While the shepherds were watching. Rhythmically vital and modally tinged this unaccompanied carol should be an indispensable part of the Yuletide playlist.

Gerald Finzi’s motet for baritone, double chorus and organ is a powerful meditation on Henry Vaughan’s poem The Brightness of this Day (1923) with its emphasis on simplicity and denial of excessive revelry, and concentration on the spiritual core of the Season. It offers echoes of the “grand choral works of Parry and his [Finzi’s] teacher Edward Bairstow.”

Christmas Day by Gustav Holst is a Choral Fantasy on Old Carols, written in 1910. These include old favourites Good Christian Men, Rejoice, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen and Come, Ye Lofty, Come, Ye Lowly. The liner notes point out that The First Nowell “was woven throughout as a counterpoint.” Despite Holst dismissing it as “poor stuff anyway and not worth doing” it has become a favourite. Well worth having on this CD in Holst’s sesquicentennial anniversary.

A new carol to me is Elizabeth Maconchy’s Nowell, Nowell, Nowell (1967) which sets an old English text dating from the fifteenth century. It is “light, joyful and elegant.”

About half of the CD playing time is given over to Ralph Vaughan Williams’s contribution to the Christmas Season.

Three numbers from the Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire published in 1920 are heard. These were “collected, edited and arranged for voice and piano, or to be sung unaccompanied by Mrs E.M. Leather and R. Vaughan Williams.” The fieldwork was done during 1912-1913.

The first carol is Christmas Now is Drawing Near at Hand which contains a lot of theological moralising. It presents a lovely melody. God Rest You Merry, Gentleman, has a quite different tune to that popularly sung today. The final offering from this collection is On Christmas Day. The sentiment of this carol seems lacking charity, with Jesus striking down the ploughman who was working on Christmas Day to make ends meet. It is truly melancholy. The liner notes promise that a subsequent “companion album, Carols from Herefordshire, (ALBCD064) contrasts all twelve carols in both settings.” Most of the choral versions have never been recorded before.

I remember as a teenager listening spellbound to a wireless broadcast of RVW’s Hodie (1954). (It was on 24 December 1972). I accept that the complete cantata has been judged as a little uneven, yet for me it was (and still is) full of Christmas magic. Two of the Carols from that cantata are heard here, The Blessed Son of God and No Sad Thought His Soul Afright. The latter musically presents a chilly, frost-bound landscape.

RVW’s Christmas Hymn from the Three Choral Hymns (1929) presents a text after Martin Luther, by Miles Coverdale. This longish piece begins quietly, as a lullaby as it meditates on the crib in Bethlehem, but soon builds intensity as the poet meditates on the theological significance of the Incarnation. The Wassail Song was the last of the Five English Folk Songs completed in 1913. There is little theology here, just encouragement to enjoy a good drink.

Another work that epitomises the Season is the Fantasia on Christmas Carols composed in 1912 and premiered that year during the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford Cathedral. It is scored for baritone soloist, choir and either orchestra or organ. (A piano and solo cello edition exists). During the progress of this single movement, RVW weaves together English folk carols, including The truth sent from above, Come all you worthy gentlemen, and On Christmas Night. Fragments of other carols are heard. The choir is instructed to use “extended techniques” such as “humming” and singing ‘Ah.’  There are delicious harmonies throughout.

The liner notes are devised by John Francis with additional material from William Vann. They are helpful and provide information about each piece and its background. The texts are included. I would have liked the dates for all the composers to be given. Details of the choir, musical director, organist, and baritone solo are included. The booklet is well-illustrated with pictures of the composers and performers. The beautiful cover is based on stained glass in Holy Trinity, Sloane Square, designed and made by Christopher Whall in 1900.

It is redundant to comment on the faultless singing and organ accompaniment. The sound recording is excellent. This is a valuable Christmas offering that explores much lesser-known repertoire, with a few old favourites for good measure.

Track Listing:
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Christmas Now is Drawing Near at Hand from Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire (1920)
Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Here Is the Little Door from Three Carol Anthems (1918)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Blessed Son of God from Hodie (1954)
John Ireland (1879-1962)
The Holy Boy (1913)
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
There Is No Rose (1928)
Ave Maria (c.1937; pub.1998)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Christmas Hymn from Three Choral Hymns (1929)
William Vann (?)
Carol
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960)
While the Shepherds Were Watching from the cantata A Saviour Born (1952)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Wassail Song from Five English Folk Songs (1913)
Gerald Finzi (1901-56)
The Brightness of this Day (1922/23)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
No Sad Thought from Hodie (1954)
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Christmas Day: A Choral Fantasy on Old Carols (1910)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen from Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire (1920)
Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-94)
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell (1967)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
On Christmas Day from Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire (1920)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols (1912)
Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea/William Vann; Jamie Andrews organ; Ashley Riches bass-baritone.
rec. 12-13 February 2024, Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square, London.
Albion ALBCD063