In 1958 Fred Benson
published Ernest Tomlinson’s Three Gaelic Sketches for orchestra. The
individual movements were titled, Fairy Cobbler, Gaelic Lullaby
and Legend of the Sea. Sadly, only the middle movement has appeared (to
date) on record or CD (Marco Polo 8.223413). The liner notes explain that the
composer mined incidental music he had written for a 1956 revue, The King
and the Mermaid with the “book” by L.A.G. (Leonard Alfred George) Strong
(1896-1958). The plot centres around a King who falls in love with an
amphibious lady from the deep. This source is entirely appropriate when
transferred to his Gaelic Lullaby. Students of folklore will be well-aware
of the legends of merrows, seals, selkies and Maighdean-mara - “maidens of the
sea.” Granville Bantock himself wrote a short choral work entitled The
Mermaid’s Croon which seems to tie up various similar legends. Gaelic in the context of these Sketches
probably refers to Ireland rather than Scotland.
The CD booklet explains
that the Lullaby featured in the original revue where the king, having
brought the mermaid to his castle finds she is tired. She is put to bed,
attended by her hand-maidens. To help here sleep, the king’s harpist plays a gentle
lullaby to her.
Tomlinson’s take on this
subject is quite charming. The short piece opens with some lovely harp chords,
before the violin enters with a wistful melody. Soon the orchestra lends
support, but the tune is never totally submerged. Flutes add to the magic.
There is a little bit of development, with some hints of Delius here and there.
The song is echoed by a lugubrious horn solo. The short piece ends quietly with
the mermaid sound asleep. I am not sure if
Tomlinson has based his delicious tune on a “found” melody or if it is own
devising.
The King and the Mermaid was
first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on 25 December 1956 at 8:30pm. The
BBC Concert Orchestra was conducted by Wilhelm Tausky.
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