Of Delights and Passions: Chamber Music by Rutland Boughton

The present CD introduces the listener to a cross section of Rutland Boughton’s chamber music, ranging from the early Celtic Prelude to the post Second World War Trio for violin, violoncello, and piano. I am grateful to the excellent liner notes in the preparation of this review. Also helpful was Michael Hurd’s 1993 volume Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals. 

A few pointers to Rutland Boughton’s life and achievement may be of interest. He was born in Aylesbury on 23 January 1878. Twenty-two years later he entered the Royal College of Music to study with Stanford and Walford Davies. Sadly, academic rigour did not agree with him, and he left after year, to pursue his own interests. Under the auspices of Granville Bantock, he taught at the Midland Institute. In the early years of the 20^th century, Boughton developed a desire to found a “British Bayreuth” at Glastonbury. The idea was to promulgate the legends of King Arthur. To this end he wrote a series of Arthurian operas/music dramas. Although the festival ran for a number of years, the proposed theatre was never built. His biggest success was his opera, The Immortal Hour based on the doings of nature spirits and fairies. Sadly, Boughton’s political views, which were left wing (he was a member of the Communist Party), may have led to the lack of financial interest in his project. Aside from opera, he composed much orchestral and concerted music, chamber works and several cantatas. Sadly, most of his oeuvre remains unheard in our day.

Jeremy Dibble has succinctly summed up Boughton’s musical aesthetic: “[His] style ranges from the genuinely symphonic (as in the Third Symphony of 1937) to the naively simple…underpinned by a conservative harmonic vocabulary symptomatic of his socialist realism.” (The Oxford Companion to Music). Rutland Boughton died on 25 January 1960.

It is unbelievable that the Trio for violin, violoncello, and piano, written in 1948, was not performed until the present ensemble played it at a lunchtime recital in Aylesbury, during March 2019. It is presented in two balanced movements, played without a break. The opening Allegretto sostenuto packs many moods into its progress. There are nods to the English pastoral school, as well as moments that are angry, tempestuous, but eventually triumphant. The movement ends in peace. Immediately following, is a bouncy “scherzo” which is both “extrovert and slightly comical.” Boughton runs with four themes, not quite contrasting, but always rewarding. The Trio concludes with an uplifting coda, Piu Allegro, which seals the optimistic conclusion to this remarkable work.

There is no doubt that Boughton’s Sonata in D major for violin and piano is “an impressive and virtuoso work, structured on a grand scale.”  It was completed at Glastonbury during May 1921, and was dedicated to the violinist Désirée Ames. The entire sonata can be construed as a “love letter” to Boughton’s third partner Kathleen Davis. Each movement is prefaced by a quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche’s book, Also Sprach Zarathustra. Whether this volume’s consideration of the Übermensch, the death of God, the will to power, and eternal recurrence, is a suitable source for a romantic offering remains to be seen. I looked up the quotations in Michael Hurd’s biography: I am not sure I understand Boughton’s drift. Perhaps it is the translation of Nietzsche’s text that is difficult. Hurd wonders if the Sonata does not live up to the promise of its thematic material. He gives an example of the beautiful slow movement “dissipating its strength in a trivial folk-dance ending.” It does seem to be a characteristic of the entire work: bold material petering out. Yet, it caused me no problems, and made an interesting change to the “big finish.” In fact, it mirrors the quixotic mind of the composer. Stylistically, this Sonata nods to Brahms and Franck rather than anything more modern.

Whether one agrees with a contemporary reviewer in the Daily Telegraph (8 February 1922) that “the music [flows] from the words which the composer has taken as his motto,” one cannot deny that the overall impact is “a work of vigour and vision.” The present violinist told me that Boughton writes well for the violin and shows great understanding of its possibilities and strengths. She considered that this virtuosic sonata is appealing to the listener as well as being extremely enriching to perform. Certainly, Jane Faulkner has created a convincing and substantial account of this imaginative work. Hopefully, it will remain in her repertoire for many years.

The Sonata for violoncello and piano is another late composition, completed in 1948. It was also dedicated to Kathleen Davis. Davis was an accomplished singer as well as a composer and cellist. Once again, the liner notes offer no indication that this Sonata was performed in Davis’s lifetime. It is suggested that it “may have been more difficult than she could play.” The work was premiered in 2010 at a recital in Hitchin. The general mood of the piece is introspective, especially in the long Poco adagio. Yet here and there bursts of passion explode through the typically dark progress. There is even a hint of Celtic wistfulness. The opening movement has two contrasting themes, one “declamatory” and the other “playful.” The development section is full of rhythmic variety, leading to a Largamente climax, with the spirited tune now transformed. The finale is a jig, with a thoughtful middle section, which recalls the Adagio. This is a splendid sonata, full of life, variety, and technical wizardry. It is incredible to believe that such a striking work has remained in the shadows for three quarters of a century. It is given a stunning performance by Pál Banda, cello, and Timothy Ravenscroft, piano.

The Celtic Prelude was composed in 1917, whilst Boughton was on active service with the Cambridgeshire Regiment. It was originally part of incidental music from W.B. Yeats’s’ play, The Land of Heart’s Desire. It is through-written with various contrasting sections including a folk dance and a “tender and dreamy” moment. It makes use of modal tunes and gentle harmonies. Michael Hurd suggested that it was “pleasant rather than powerful.” I find this a delightful miniature that does indeed create the mood of the Celtic Twilight.

Sadly, Boughton’s proposed Celtic Sonata never came to fruition. It would have been dedicated to The Sonata Players. He did, however, write the short Winter Sun for them. It was premiered by the dedicatees on 4 February 1934. The liner notes explain that it was based on Boughton’s eponymous orchestral piece completed in 1932. It “can be considered as a meditation on the tragic story of Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat.” As all enthusiasts of Arthuriana will recall, this Lady of Shalott was deserted by Lancelot, after she had nursed him back to health. Winter Sun is not programmatic but is a deeply felt musing, and packs a wide variety of emotions into its four-minute duration. The opening and closing sections present frosty music.

I was impressed by the English Piano Trio’s performance of all these pieces. The recording is outstanding. Like all EM Records, the liner notes are ideal. There is a brief introduction to the composer by Ian R Boughton, the composer’s grandson. The detailed and informative programme notes are by members of the English Piano Trio. There is a resume of the ensemble.

There is nothing difficult in these five works: but challenge is not the be all and end all of a listener’s pleasure. What Rutland Boughton provides is enjoyable and inspiring music that is characterised by melodic interest, well-devised formal structures and satisfying harmonies.

Track Listing:
Rutland Boughton (1878-1960)
Trio for violin, violoncello, and piano (1948)
Sonata in D major for violin and piano (1921)
Sonata for violoncello and piano (1948)
Celtic Prelude (The Land of Heart’s Desire) for violin, violoncello, and piano (1917)
Winter Sun for violin and piano (1933)
English Piano Trio: Jane Faulkner (violin), Pál Banda (cello), Timothy Ravenscroft (piano)
rec. 23-25 March 2022, SJE Arts, Oxford, England
EM Records EMR CD081

Rutland Boughton: Love Duet from The Immortal Hour

There are many ways to approach a composer. In my case, I came to the music of Rutland Boughton by way of the superb Symphony No.3 in B minor (1937) which I heard broadcast on Radio Three some four decades ago. It is a work that I immediately fell in love with and still regard as one of my favourite British Symphonies. However, I imagine that many people will have first heard of the composer through his wonderful opera, The Immortal Hour. 

The composer and (maverick) music critic Josef Holbrooke was a little ambivalent to Boughton’s music. Writing in 1925 he suggested that “his Female Suffrage songs and his Labour ditties did not prognosticate such an ethereal morsel and spiritual entertainment as the music-drama, The Immortal Hour.” A paragraph later Holbrooke is proposing that “Uncouth is much of Boughton...,” yet a few words later he suggests that “the gods came to him in the songs...” in this work.

The history of the opera can be briefly noted. The libretto was adapted from a verse-drama by Fiona Macleod, who was the literary pseudonym of William Sharp. It is based on a legendary Irish story relating the loves of Etain, who is a girl of the Faery Folk, and Eochaidh, the King. Etain is summoned by Midir, prince of faery to the Land of Heart’s Desire. Behind the thoughts and deeds of all the characters lurks Dalua, ‘the Shadow that lies behind life.’ Holbrooke defines the relationship of words and music – “The poems...are of the slightest and most ethereal. Nothing in music is more refined and delicate than the orchestral score of the Immortal Hour.”  It is well said.

The opera was first performed on 26 August 1914 during the Summer Festival of the Glastonbury Festival School. It was conducted by Charles Kennedy Scott, however, at that event there was only a piano accompaniment. The composer sang the role of Dalua, the shadow God, due to one of the singers being indisposed. It has been revived a number of times since –most notably in London in 1922/23 and on New York in 1926. A recording of the opera was made in 1984 and is currently available on Hyperion CDD22040.

The music of the Love Duet begins just before fig.121 in the vocal score and is part of Scene 2. It is at the point that Manus and Maive are discussing a stranger who has visited them and given them three pieces of silver –one piece for Etain, who is also in the house, one for any stranger who may visit and one piece for their silence. Etain laments the beauty of her Faery world. A horn is heard and Eochaidh enters the hut. He sees Etain. Together they sing their love. The whole sequence of the music is haunted by the lovely phrase below:  

Surely this is one of the loveliest tunes written by any Englishman. It is reminiscent of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Boughton has not transcribed the whole passage: he omits some of the music supporting recitative. The climax comes shortly before the point where the couple sing the words ‘The years, the bitter years of all the world are now no more.’ The extract continues with the lovely music accompanying the words, ‘Dear Lord, sit here, I am weary.’ Finally, the music closes with ‘a strange faraway look coming into Etain’s eyes and Eochaidh quietly singing Etain, dear love!

The Love Duet was arranged by the composer and was duly published by Stainer & Bell in 1923. It was also available in a version for piano solo.

"Love Duet" (From THE IMMORTAL HOUR) arr. by the composer for orchestra Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, cond. Ronald Corp (Dan Godfrey Encores: Dutton Epoch CDLX7276) www.duttonvocalion.co.uk

English Piano Trios

Although I have searched the Internet, I have not come up with a definitive opinion as to whether this CD presents five previously unrecorded chamber works. Normally CD companies would trumpet this fact, but no mention is made in the booklet, the track listing or the advertising blurb. My working assumption is that they are premier recordings but look forward to being proved wrong on this point.

A little problem occurs with the opening work, the beautiful Piano Trio No.1 in G major (c.1889) by Rosalind Ellicott. The track-listing on the CD cover insists that this is written in the key of F major, the imbedded information in the CD concurs. Grove’s declares that it is in G major, as does the score and the programme notes. So, G major it is.

The Trio is presented in three movements with the slow ‘adagio’ conventionally placed second. The opening ‘allegro con grazia’ is a delight. Written in 6/8 time, Ellicott has taken to the crotchet-quaver melodic line, which propels this music along. The second movement, by contrast, is quite introverted: the liner notes suggest ‘funereal’. This ternary movement has a gorgeous romantic tune in A major. This, for me is the emotional highlight of the entire work. The finale is dynamic. This ‘allegro brillante’ does what is says ‘on the tin. Back in the home key, it is full of energy and vigour propelling the movement to a powerful close, with several loud reiterated G major/C major chords.

What does the work sound like? I guess that Brahms springs to mind. Mendelssohn and William Sterndale Bennett (her teacher) also lie close to the surface. But this is not fair. Rosalind Ellicott has written a minor masterpiece. It holds it own against much that went before and came after it. And I would swap many works for the elegant tune in the slow movement!

In 1891 Ellicott was to produce her Piano Trio No,2 in D minor. This has been recorded by the Summerhayes Trio on Meridian CDE84478.

The problem with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Trio in E minor is that it too short. The entire work lasts for less than nine minutes. Additionally, I felt there was an imbalance between movements in this work. The first is longer than the other two combined. But that is not all. The powerful opening gesture seems to me to be destined for a much longer and more expansive work. Furthermore, there seems little contrast between the ‘moderato’ and the ‘allegro’ sections of this movement. The liner notes suggest that this is a little rondo, yet I felt the episodes lacked distinction.  The second movement is a vivacious ‘scherzo’ lasting for less than two minutes. Again, there is little distinction between the minuet and the trio parts.  The finale brings little respite to this ‘fast’ work. There is terrific energy in this ‘con furiant’ movement that just seems out of scale with such a short work.  Another issue with this Trio is the lack of slow movement as such. Even the episodes and contrasting themes in each movement fail to present anything approaching repose. On the other hand, there is much superb writing for the Trio here. Melodic material seems to tumble from the composer’s pen.  Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy this work and hope that as a result of this premiere recording it will gain traction with concert promoters, ensembles and listeners.

I have always wanted to hear Rutland Boughton’s Celtic Prelude: The Land of Heart’s Desire. I recall I came across the score of the work in the Royal Academy of Music Library many years ago and the title took my fancy, as well as what I could hear in my mind’s ear. The Prelude was composed in 1921, the year before Boughton began his best-known work, the opera The Immortal Hour. The liner notes suggest that it may well be a preparatory sketch for that opera. Michael Hurd in his book-length study of the composer, explains that Boughton wrote the incidental music for Yeats’s play The Land of Heart’s Desire, which was performed at Glastonbury on 24 January 1917. He later worked up this score into the present Trio. The rhapsodic formal structure would seem to be through-composed, with a plethora of tunes, fast and slow, tumbling over each other. Somehow, all these various melodies seem to be hewn from the same material. The robust opening theme is reprised near the end of the Trio, before the mood changes to a lively jig. Hurd was not over impressed with this short Prelude. He concedes that it is ‘tuneful and unpretentious’ but it is a ‘slight work – its modal melodies, episodic formal structure, and unsurprising harmonic content creating an impression that it is pleasant rather than powerful.’ I think it is these things that give the piece its sense of innocence and wonder.

I have waited many years to hear a performance of this piece: I think that the wait has been worthwhile. This is a delightful work that is full of Celtic melancholy and lively-ish dance, but never descends into Tartanry or Irishry. I hope that several piano trio ensembles will take this work up. It deserves to be popular.

I have not come across the composer James Cliffe Forrester before. Googling did not really help. Most ‘hits’ were associated with the present CD.  The liner notes give the briefest of notices of his life and works. Born in 1860, (not 1960 as printed on the CD rear cover track listing) Forrester attended the National Training School (the forerunner of the Royal College of Music). After completing his studies, he held posts as organist and choirmaster at St John’s Church, West Ealing, and as music master at Princess Helena College in Hertfordshire. Remarkably, he was at this college for more than five decades. I searched the British Library Catalogue and found no references. The liner notes refer to some song settings of texts by Longfellow, Shelley and Browning. WorldCat reveals a couple of piano pieces: In Springtime and Rosalind, a minuet for piano. Which makes the situation very puzzling indeed? Based on the remarkable Trio: Folk Song Fantasy heard on this disc, he would seem to be a composer with considerable gifts. There must be some more information out there somewhere…

Turning to the Trio, we are told that is was written for the 5^th Cobbett Chamber Music Competition held in 1917. The rules of this competition were that the work be around quarter of an hour, relatively easy to perform and must derive its melodic material from folksong, from the country of the composer’s birth or residence.  Betsi Hodges in her admirable thesis about the Cobbett Competitions lists the winners of the 1917 competition. The trio section was won by Forrester’s Trio with the second place going to Arnold Trowell’s Trio on Ancient Irish Folk Tunes.

Forrester’s work was duly published by Novello.  Walter Willson Cobbett, in his Cobbett’s Cyclopaedic Survey of Chamber Music, vol. 1, A-H, described the work as ‘a musicianly work of melodious charm.’ That’s it.

The Trio is written in the usual arch form, with the slow middle section. The programme notes identify the main theme as the Sussex folk tune ‘Rosebud in June’. This is presented in several guises with contrasting, but typically melancholy, moods. The final section utilises as brisk tune called ‘Twanky Dillo’, which is an anthem for a blacksmith. This was sourced from a volume compiled in 1791 entitled Pills to Purge Melancholy.

This splendid Trio makes an ideal entry point for someone wishing to enter the world of British Chamber music of the first half of the 20^th century. There is nothing challenging here. It is not avant-garde and does not ramble as so many folk song inspired works are liable to do. Witness the irruption of the final theme in the middle of the slow section – a masterstroke. This is a moving, exciting, well-constructed and thoroughly enjoyable work. It just cries out to be in the repertoire of all Trio ensembles.

The last work on this imaginative CD is Harry Waldo Warner’s Trio for piano, violin and violoncello, op. 22. The work is dedicated to the American pianist, patron of music and socialite, Mrs Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. In fact, it won the Coolidge Prize for 1921 and was duly published by Ricordi. Apparently, there were some 64 competitors from ten nations, so it was a wide field and (presumably) a well-deserved win.

The first movement is something of a ‘fantasy.’ After an opening flourish the composer presents three discrete sections that seem melodically related to each other but presenting various moods. The second section is much lighter in tone than the surrounding music which is typically turbulent and restless. The piano part here adds so much to the success of this movement.

The ‘scherzo’ is light-footed with some wonderfully will o’ the wisp piano interjections. There is much of the Orient about this music with lots of bare ‘fourth’ (e.g. C-F) chords. The ‘trio’ section is a little more romantic in tone, with a well-poised melody. There is a reference here to the first movement before the ‘scherzo’ theme brings the work to a close.  This entire movement would make a wonderful encore to any recital. (However, I do not usually advocate lifting movements out of context!!)

The finale is complex in design. It begins with a slow, melancholic introduction played on strings with piano interruptions articulating the main theme of the opening movement. Very soon the main theme of this ‘sonata rondo’ is presented.  Here there are constant changes of metre creating a deliberate sense of instability. This is a melody that presents drama and just a hint of aggression. The ‘second subject’ or ‘episode’ is a reflective tune that brings some peace into what this typically turbulent music. The movement progresses through several twists and turns before heading for the massive ‘climactic, affirmative close.’  The entire trio is characterised by chromatic writing, especially in the piano part.

Even a superficial hearing of Waldo Warner’s Trio will explain why this work won first prize in the Coolidge Competition. Everything about this work suggests genius. It is a masterpiece (an overused word, I concede). Listening to this music makes it hard to believe that it has been ignored largely for a century. There is so many good things in this three-movement work.

The playing by the Trio Anima Mundi (a profound name, the ‘World Soul’!) is magnificent throughout. I managed to ‘follow’ three of these works (Ellicott, Boughton and Waldo Warner) with the score and was continually amazed at the brilliant interpretation of this music. Despite the drop-offs noted above, the liner notes and packaging are excellent. Divine Art, as usual, give an outstanding recorded sound to this CD. I cannot fault it.

If these are all ‘premiere performances’ this new release will give chamber music enthusiasts plenty to think about. Each one of these five ‘trios’ are special and deserve our attention. I look forward to many more releases by this ensemble, with their continuing enthusiasm for ‘musical archaeology’.

Track Listing:

Rosalind ELLICOTT (1857-1924) Piano Trio no.1 in G (not F) major (1889)

Samuel COLERIDGE-TAYLOR (1875-1912) Trio in E minor for piano, violin and violoncello (1893)

Rutland BOUGHTON (1878-1960) Celtic Prelude: ‘The Land of Heart’s Desire’ (1921)

James Cliffe FORRESTER (1860-1940) Trio: Folk Song Fantasy (1917)

Harry Waldo WARNER (1874-1945) Trio for piano, violin and violoncello, op.22 (1921)

Trio Anima Mundi, Dr Kenji Fujimura (piano), Rochelle Ughetti (violin), Noella Yan (cello)

Rec. 9-10 December 2017, The Music Auditorium, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

DIVINE ART dda 25158 

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published. 

Rutland Boughton ‘For Joyance’: The Complete Chamber Music for Oboe

The liner notes explain the background to this splendid new CD. The British composer Rutland Boughton had eight children – from several partners - some of whom became ‘established musicians.’  For the record Ruby (1904-52) and Estelle (1907-72) were singers, Jennifer (1928-2001) was also a singer, whilst Brian (b.1927) was a trumpeter.

The main protagonist for this present CD is ‘Joy’ Boughton who was born in 1913 to the composer’s second partner, Christina Walshe. She was to become a well-respected and highly-accomplished oboist of her generation. Joy studied with Leon Goossens at the Royal College of Music, before embarking on her career. Ill health prevented her from taking up a Professorship at the college.  After her early death in 1963, the Joy Boughton Memorial Prize Fund was established. This was supported by big names of the day, including Benjamin Britten, Janet Craxton and Evelyn Rothwell (Lady Barbirolli). As a matter of interest, Britten composed his remarkable Six Metamorphosis after Ovid, Op. 49 in 1951 for Joy Boughton: she played in Britten’s orchestra at Aldeburgh.

On the present CD, all the chamber works are dedicated to Boughton’s daughter except for the short Portrait for flute, oboe and piano, which was possibly written for Leon Goossens.

In addition to the works recorded here, there are two Oboe Concertos. The first, composed in 1936, was dedicated to Joy, with the second being written for Leon Goossens in 1943. The first of these concertos has been issued on Hyperion Helios CDH55019 (1999) with Sarah Francis as soloist. Listeners await a recording of the second concerto.

The earliest work on this CD is the ‘Portrait’ for flute, oboe and piano. The liner notes explain that little is known about this piece. It may well have been written for Leon Goossens: he had the score in his possession in 1961. The Portrait was completed in February 1925, at a time when Boughton was concentrating on his massive operatic projects. There is no record of its premiere. It is a wonderful piece that is full of sunshine and optimism. There are touches of impressionism here and there. The dialogues between the flute and the oboe are delightful. It is a work that ought to be in the repertoire of all wind ensembles that include this grouping of instruments.

I moved onto the next piece, in chronological order - the Oboe Quartet No.1, completed during April 1932. Once again, there is no record of its first performance, however, Joy did include it in several recitals and made a private recording. There are three movements: the opening ‘allegro vivace’ is in sonata form, this is followed by a vivacious ‘scherzo’ and the work concludes with a satisfying set of variations on an unidentified folk-theme. The Quartet has been described by the composer, as ‘small, sweet and Spring-like, with some of Spring’s sadness through it…’

I fell for this work when it was issued by Hyperion (CDA66936,1997) played by Sarah Francis and the Rasumovsky Quartet. I still love it now in this equally well-wrought version.

The Two Pieces for oboe and piano, (1937) ‘Somerset Pastorale’ and ‘The Passing of the Faerie’, were originally two discrete pieces. The first is based on a genuine folk-song, ‘Ye little birds that sing.’ This is a charming pastoral ramble, in the nicest sort of way. The second is a ‘joke’ or ‘parody’, with Boughton writing a ‘take’ on the onetime famous ‘Faery Song’ from his Celtic-inspired opera The Immortal Hour. However, any serious intent is blown away by a bouncy folk song. The opening music is briefly recapitulated in the final bars. An ideal recital piece for oboist with piano accompaniment.

The Three Songs without Words for oboe quartet were derived from musical sketches that Boughton had made for several works that ‘did not materialise’. The opening piece ‘Whence’ may have come from a lost score for Isolt which originally incidental music for a play was.

The vivacious second movement, ‘Faery Flout’ was based on music once destined for a setting of a poem by Mary Webb. The final piece, ‘Barcarolle’ is deeper waters. This explores ‘brooding shadows’, ‘whispering willows and summertime drowsiness.’

‘Greensleeves’ is a well-loved melody, probably best-known in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia. The original folk tune is often believed to have been devised by Henry VIII, although some suggest a later date, and being imported from Italy. Boughton’s take, written during the Second World War, is much simpler than RVWs with no contrasting tune (Lovely Joan). On the other hand, he does reach a level of retrospection and intimacy that is denied to that better-known version.

The ‘latest’ work on this CD is the Oboe Quartet No.2 which was completed during the spring of 1945. It is unbelievable that the work had to wait until 2014 to receive ‘its first known performance.’ Even a superficial hearing of this work reveals a masterpiece. I guess that the underlying issue with this work was that it did not reflect modernism of either Britten or that of the emerging serialists, such as Lutyens and Searle.

The ‘dramatic’ opening ‘allegro’ is the most complex section of this four-movement quartet. There are certainly several folk songs hinted at, with several less-obviously derived tunes: it is just a continuous outpouring of melody.  The ‘andante languendo’ is based on the final number of the Three Songs without Words. It is certainly the heart of what is typically an exhilarating quartet. I enjoyed the ‘scherzo, which has an almost jazzy feel to it with folk inspired waltz tunes. It is lively, happy and joyful music, with only a little bit of sad regret in the ‘trio’ section. The finale is an exuberant ‘hornpipe’ which fairly romps along. It is certainly music to bring even the most reserved of chamber music habitués to their feet!

As always with the Oboe Classics label the booklet is a masterclass – with one exception. Detailed notes for each work are preceded by a short overview setting the music in its entirety in context. They are written by Ian R Boughton, the composer’s grandson.  There is long biography of the composer and notes about the performers. Finally. Mark Baigent has provided details about the instruments used in this recording, which reflect the contemporary (to Boughton) used. The exception to these notes are the fonts – grey printed on grey, white on black etc. It may be artistically pleasing, but it does not help older eyes gain the benefit of the information so helpfully provided.

I enjoyed every bar of this beautifully recorded and played exploration of Rutland Boughton’s contribution to chamber music featuring the oboe. Let us hope this CD kick starts further investigation into the composer’s considerable catalogue of music. Certainly every piece on this disc ought to be in oboists’ repertoire. 

Track Listing:

Rutland BOUGHTON (1878-1960)

Oboe Quartet No.2 ‘For my daughter, Joy’ (1945)

Two Pieces for oboe and piano ‘For Joyance’ (1937)

Three Songs without Words for oboe quartet, ‘To Joyance, with love’ (1937)

Portrait for flute, oboe and piano (1925)

Greensleeves for oboe quartet, ‘For Joy’ (c.1939-45)

Oboe Quartet No.1, ‘For my daughter Joy’ (1932)

Mark Baigent (oboe), Eva Cabellero (flute), Michael Jones (piano), Sophie Barber (violin), Chian Lim (viola), Stephen Orton (cello)

Rec. Woodside Hall, Hitchin, 10-11 August 2017 

OBOE CLASSICS CC2034  

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published. 

Rutland Boughton (1878-1960): Cantata: The Skeleton in Armour Part 2

Modern Opinion

In Michael Hurd’s 1962 study of Rutland Boughton, he was less than complimentary to The Skeleton in Armour. He insists that it was ‘an accomplished exercise in high-flown twaddle.’ He continues by pointing out that ‘it is worth labouring the weakness of the text (presumably he does not like Longfellow) if only to point the enormous distance in taste Boughton eventually travelled.’ The music, Hurd feels, is ‘a mixture of Mendelssohn and Gounod [that] underlines the bathos of the words with a precision that might be mistaken for mockery were it not for the composer’s youth and inexperience.’

In Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festival (1993) Hurd expands his views on The Skeleton in Armour. He suggests that Boughton’s choral music for voice and orchestra must be considered in the context of the large number of choral festivals and competitions that ‘played so vital part in English musical life before the First World War.’  Hurd reflects that these ‘occasions… [were] not primarily the breeding grounds of great art’. He concedes now that this is an ‘interesting work’ and that it ‘has moments of real power and charm.’ He feels that ‘Boughton is at his best when tackling the poem’s grimmer aspects...’ On the other hand Hurd believes that ‘the love element reduces him to teashop sentimentality.’  Finally, he concludes that it ‘is a bold, ambitious work, orchestrated with real aplomb, and an impressive achievement for a 20 year old.’

In his thesis A Survey of New Trends in English Musical Life 1910-1914, (1981) Richard Charles Hall writes that The Skeleton in Armour and The Invincible Armada…were competently-written, run-of-the-mill festival cantatas, simplistic narrative tests provided with vivid settings, in no way out of the ordinary and certainly not representative of the composer's mature style.’

Conclusion.

The Skeleton in Armour is an early piece by Rutland Boughton which predates his Glastonbury operas and major orchestral works. This is quite definitely a Wagnerian work in its use of chromaticism and ‘leitmotivs’, although Hurd (1962) as noted above does raise Gounod and Mendelssohn as exemplars for the musical style.

It is doubtful that present day (2015) concert-goers or listeners will ever hear this work. As a composition it is likely to be near the back of the queue for any contemporary recording project or full-blown concert performance.  However, I think that it would be an ideal candidate for a ‘chamber’ recital with a small ‘scratch’ choir and pianist. Certainly the short notice of this work in The Self-Advertisement of Rutland Boughton (1911) declares that although it is scored with orchestral accompaniment, ‘the work will be effective with an accompaniment of strings and piano only, or even of piano solo.  (My italics). It further notes that ‘a fairly good pianist will be necessary, as the vocal score contains a real pianistic transcription of the orchestral part’.  My study of the score suggests that this work is worthy of being regarded as being more effective than merely an ephemeral ‘Morecambe Festival’ work.

Appendix 1

Other settings of Henry W. Longfellow’s ‘The Skeleton on Armour’ include:

Arthur Foote: The Skeleton in Armour: ballad for chorus and orchestra, op.28 c.1892

Joseph Holbrooke: The Viking: tone poem for orchestra, op.32 (1899). This work was originally called The Skeleton in Armour and was occasionally known as The Corsair.

George Elbridge Whiting: The Tale of the Viking: a Dramatic cantata for 3 solo voices, chorus and orchestra, 1881

Brief Bibliography:

Hurd, Michael, Immortal Hour, The Life and Period of Rutland Boughton, (London, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1962)

Hurd, Michael, Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals, (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1993)

Files of various contemporary newspapers and journals

With thank to the Rutland Boughton Trust where this essay was first published during December 2017

Rutland Boughton (1878-1960): Cantata: The Skeleton in Armour Part 1

The Text

The idea for the poem ‘The Skeleton in Armour’ was ‘suggested’ to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-82) whilst out riding on the beach at Newport, Rhode Island. The initial stimulus was the finding of a skeleton wearing a brass breastplate and belt at Fall River, Massachusetts, c.1832. There was much debate as to the provenance of the remains, with protagonists proposing, Native American, Phoenician, Carthaginian or Egyptian origin. Other antiquarians were convinced that it was an early colonist or possibly even an elaborate fraud. Another proposal was that the ‘long-buried exile’ was of Scandinavian descent. It was this latter theory that exercised Longfellow’s imagination. The poet was aware of the debate around the Old Wind-Mill or Round Tower at Newport and the hypothesis that it was of Danish origin. Longfellow was inspired by Carl Christian Rafn (1795-1864) who majored on the Viking colonisation of the Americas.  It is hard to know whether the poet believed the theory of the Norse ancestry of the skeleton or whether it was just an apt poetic conceit. 

The remains of the ‘Viking’ were destroyed in a major fire in 1843, so no subsequent tests were possible to prove or deny its origins.  

The poem ‘The Skeleton in Armour’ was first published in the Knickerbocker Magazine (January 1841) and subsequently in Ballads and other Poems (1841).

The burden of the poem is that the ‘ghost’ of the skeleton appears and begins to tell his story to the passing stranger. [cf. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a poem known to Longfellow].  The spectre declares that he was a Viking who had fallen in love with the daughter of King Hildebrand. However, the king thwarted his suit. The ‘Viking’, aroused to passion, kidnapped the girl and set sail, with her father and his retinue in pursuit. To avoid a sea battle, which he would have lost, the Viking rammed the king’s ship killing all on board. After a journey of some three weeks they made landfall at Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. The poet imagines that the ‘round tower’ was built for the lady’s bower. Alas, the princess dies and was interred in her tower. The Viking, being distraught arrayed himself in his armour and ‘fell upon his sword.’ 

Genesis of the Cantata

Rutland Boughton was twenty years old when he put the finishing touches to his symphonic poem for chorus and orchestra, The Skeleton in Armour. Other choral works at this time were the cantatas Sir Galahad (1898) and The Invisible Armada (1901).  Orchestral music of this period included the tone poem A Summer Night (1899, rev.1903) and Symphonic Suite: The Chilterns, (1900).  This former work had impressed Granville Bantock when it was first heard at a Halfords Concerts Society event in 1902. It has subsequently been recorded on the Dutton Epoch record label (CDLX7262). The Chilterns, symphonic suite, remains a tantalising desideratum. In 1898 Boughton had completed a Piano Concerto in A flat and a tone poem Lucifer. Both works were withdrawn and subsequently destroyed (Hurd, 1993).

The Skeleton in Armour was originally conceived as a ballad for baritone and orchestra and was completed in February 1898. Hurd (1993) states that it was rescored for SATB later that year: the final page of the vocal score is dated ‘Aylesbury, Nov- Dec. 1898’. The work was further revised in 1903. The score was duly published by Novello & Sons in 1909, priced 2/- (10p). Interestingly, this work is contemporary with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s once ubiquitous Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast. 

Premiere and Reviews

The premiere of The Skeleton in Armour was on 16 March 1909 at the Queen’s Hall with the Edward Mason Choir and the New Symphony Orchestra. Mason was born in 1878/9 and had studied at the Royal College of Music. His early career included, teaching at Eton and playing cello in the Grimson Quartet (other members were Frank Bridge (viola) Ernest Tomlinson (violin) and the leader Jessie Grimson (violin).  Mason’s choir, with more than a hundred singers, was formed 1907 and gave its first concert the following year. The concerts continued until 1914.

One of the aims of Mason’s choir was to perform little-known works by English composers. Stephen Lloyd in his study of H. Balfour Gardiner, (Cambridge University Press, 1984, 2005) has noted that over thirty British composers were represented over this six year period. Edward Mason was killed in France (9 May 1915) whilst serving as a second-lieutenant in the Northamptonshire Regiment.

The Rutland Boughton Trust possesses a short typed memorandum quoting a number of reviews. The Morning Post (17 March 1909) noted that Boughton’s Skeleton:

‘…is frankly lyrical in character, and it is invariably grateful for the voices. The composer’s methods are clear, straightforward, and tuneful, and there is no doubt that the excellence of the writing for the voices, the sufficiency of contrast, and the generally attractive character of the work will win for it widespread popularity among choral societies whose technical attainments are legitimate.’ 

There were two calls for the composer to acknowledge the applause. Other works included in this concert were Edgar L. Bainton’s The Blessed Damozel and Arthur Goodhart’s (the memorandum notes the composer was John O’Keefe; in fact, he was the author from whom the libretto was derived) Spanish Armada. 

The New Music Review (Volume 8, 1908-9) states that Mr. Boughton:

‘…has the dramatic spirit, and as the poem affords ample opportunity for effective musical treatment he has been successful in composing music which is not only melodious, but eminently graphic in its descriptive power. He is evidently a master of choral effects, and his work may be safely recommended to choral societies as well worthy of performance’.

The Musical Times (April 1909) reported that:

‘[The] novelty was the ' Symphonic poem' for chorus and orchestra, The Skeleton in Armour, by Rutland Boughton…. In his highly descriptive setting of Longfellow's grim poem, Mr. Boughton displays considerable power to write effectively for chorus and orchestra. He indulges in many strange devices, but they always have interest and application to the situation. Some of the climaxes are very dramatic, and prove that he can feel strongly in terms of music. The performance was a fair one, but the lack of balance of choral and orchestral tone was sometimes conspicuous.’ 

The same edition of this journal further reports on the published score:-

‘The first aim of Mr. Rutland Boughton's choral writing is to provide interest in every part, the occasions being few when the lower voices form merely an accompaniment. The continuous flow of the part-writing disguises the rigid stanza-form of the narrative, and with its frequent modulations eliminates all monotony. The serious mood of the music, rightly excludes a 'tuneful' style, but effective themes or figures often occur in association with various shades of feeling in the poem. They appear chiefly in the orchestral part, while the skilfully woven choral part-writing continues its course simultaneously. Choralists will find that the apparent chromatic difficulties of their parts are smoothed over by the flow and eminently vocal nature of the writing.’

At the time of the premiere there was some doubt as to whether The Skeleton was an early or a late work. The Musical Standard (20 March 1909) wonders if it was brand new or had been rewritten.  ‘JHGB’ writes that this work has ‘an interesting and masterly character.’ In fact, he insists that the composer has so far not written ‘anything that runs along so well…so pleasingly, the onward trend of the music and its rhythmic buoyancy.’  The audience were ‘never bored’ and ‘every orchestral and choral effect “came off”’.  The choir and orchestra clearly enjoyed performing this work and seemed ‘inspired under Mr. Mason’s direction.’  The music was ‘…unaffectedly or non-artificially British in tone.’

Finally, the composer’s friend George Bernard Shaw once wrote ‘I loathe your music. It isn’t music at all. It is all skeletons in armour, rangle, jangle, bangle, with nothing but old bones inside... For heaven’s sake get a professorship at the RAM. You will get paid for misleading the young and you won’t have any time to compose.’ (Letter, Shaw/Boughton, 2 January, 1912)  I think we can take this as ‘friendly banter’ with just a grain of truth.  

To be continued...

With thank to the Rutland Boughton Trust where this essay was first published during December 2017