What British, commonwealth, or similar 'neglected' composer are you listening to?

[Edgy 2]

Sir Malcolm Arnold: Five Blake Songs for Contralto & Strings op66 - off air recording 28/01/1966

These have just completely bowled me over, just cannot believe that they haven't been commercially recorded. The songs are stunningly beautiful & Arnold wouldn't be the first composer that would come to mind on an initial hearing. They are filled with a nostalgic sadness, that hovers somewhere between late R Strauss & Barber aided by the skilled rich but luminous string orchestra scoring, that allows every word of the contralto solo to be clearly heard.

Sounds fascinating sc

[Cockney Sparrow]

I hope its acceptable to draw attention to an imminent performance of a rarely performed work by Elgar and a work of Parry’s which has not been recorded, nor performed since at least 1920.

"7.30pm Saturday 26th February 2022
St Albans Cathedral St Albans AL1 1BY
David Temple conductor; Sarah Fox soprano; London Orchestra da Camera

This concert celebrates the music of two of our greatest romantic English composers.

Two rarely performed works, Elgar’s The Black Knight, and Parry’s De Profundis are accompanied by more familiar works by the two composers.
Elgar described The Black Knight, Op. 25 as a ‘symphony for chorus and orchestra’. Written in 1889–93 and first performed in Worcester in April 1893, it tells the story of the intrusion of a mysterious stranger into a king’s court with disastrous and gruesome results. The libretto borrows from Longfellow’s translation of the ballad Der Schwarze Ritter by Ludwig Uhland, itself based on an earlier German work telling of events surrounding the second marriage in 1285 of the Scottish king Alexander III, hence the medieval British setting.
Its four dramatic scenes correspond to the four movements of the classical symphony. There are no soloists, and the action is described by the chorus.

Described by Vaughan Williams in a letter to Sir Adrian Boult in 1948 as Parry’s finest work, De Profundis was composed in 1891 and first performed at the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford in September of the same year. Parry set Psalm 130 ‘Out of the depths have I cried unto three, O Lord’ for soprano and twelve part chorus.
The first performance was described in the Musical Times as having “noble imaginings and exalted emotions…Men of varying tastes and judgement conceded to one another that in its way a great thing had been born into the world”.

Rarely performed since then, we are able to bring this neglected masterpiece to a wider audience using a newly reconstructed full score prepared for us by the English Heritage Music Series."

The other works are “I was glad” and Elgar part songs from opus 71-3. We can’t trace any performance in the UK since 1920 or thereabouts (hence Vaughan Williams suggestion to Boult the BBC perform De profundis for Parry’s Centenary – which wasn’t taken up).

Initial impressions are that it is not a work which deserves the oblivion in which it currently resides. We have found no trace of any recording (or availabity on You Tube for example) and we had hoped to fund our own recording which could be issued on CD. However, its not been possible to cover the costs from the choir’s current financial programme.

Hence, anyone interested to hear the revival of this Parry piece, and the neglected Elgar Black Knight should head for St Albans on the 28th – with a Hotel and “Boutique Accommodation” outfits a short walk opposite the Cathedral over Holywell Hill and a pleasant city to spend some time in.

It is a shame about the recording and of course availability would help to promote other performances. Many charitable trusts would not be capable of responding to requests for funding in the time available and a local Trust which supports music specifically excludes funding CDs.

We made a recording of a favourite work – Elgar’s The Kingdom and I expect the Parry will be a performance which similarly does justice to the piece. Our Kingdom recording received glowing praise :

"Put simply, it was the finest performance of The Kingdom that I have ever heard, or can ever hope to hear. In David Temple there was, for once, a conductor who actually took notice of the directions Elgar has given in his score, and the result was a revelation…..
The Hertfordshire Chorus was a revelation. I’ve been singing in and conducting choirs, large and small, professional and amateur, for half a century, and the blend of sound, the tone, and consistent accuracy were something that I would normally expect to hear only in the best chamber choirs, amateur or professional. The tenor section especially, discretely reinforced by “guest singers”, came across with thrilling effect……
Martin Bird
Review Editor
Elgar Society Journal"

However, to return to the concert itself, it will also be a special pleasure to perform “I Was Glad” with an orchestra!

[Edgy 2]

wow what a rare treat, enjoy

[Serial_Apologist]

The World in a Grain of Sand - Sunday 6 Feb

This first episode of a new series looks pertinent to the thread, and I thought interesting:

11pm 1/3 - Ballad, Lyric, Song

Tenor Mark Padmore presents a survey of the modern English art song, taking as his starting point the turn of the 20th century, when composers looked to make English-language settings of poetry that could stand alongside the world of German lied and the great flowering of song from the likes of Schubert, Schumann and Wolf. He beings with the origins of this renaissance, from Quilter, Butterworth and Gurney through to the period between the wars, including the music of ireland and Finzi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00147jx

This is turning out to be exactly the sort of programme which so well suited to its subject that I had hoped for. Strongly recommended for lovers of this period of English music.

[AuntDaisy]

This first episode of a new series looks pertinent to the thread, and I thought interesting:

11pm 1/3 - Ballad, Lyric, Song

Tenor Mark Padmore presents a survey of the modern English art song, taking as his starting point the turn of the 20th century, when composers looked to make English-language settings of poetry that could stand alongside the world of German lied and the great flowering of song from the likes of Schubert, Schumann and Wolf. He beings with the origins of this renaissance, from Quilter, Butterworth and Gurney through to the period between the wars, including the music of ireland and Finzi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00147jx

This is turning out to be exactly the sort of programme which so well suited to its subject that I had hoped for. Strongly recommended for lovers of this period of English music.

Shocked that R3 isn't including pop / grunge / game music in this!!!!
Only joking - it makes a pleasant change to have an interesting programme that isn't desperately trying to attract youngsters (and failing).

Thanks, Serial_Apologist, for pointing it out.
It reminds me of an updated "The English Ayre".

[Serial_Apologist]

Shocked that R3 isn't including pop / grunge / game music in this!!!!
Only joking - it makes a pleasant change to have an interesting programme that isn't desperately trying to attract youngsters (and failing).

Thanks, Serial_Apologist, for pointing it out.
It reminds me of an updated "The English Ayre".

...But instead un-desperately not trying and succeeding, possibly!

Next week's looks between the two world wars, and I'll try and remember to flag it up on here with more notice.

[Edgy 2]

This first episode of a new series looks pertinent to the thread, and I thought interesting:

11pm 1/3 - Ballad, Lyric, Song

Tenor Mark Padmore presents a survey of the modern English art song, taking as his starting point the turn of the 20th century, when composers looked to make English-language settings of poetry that could stand alongside the world of German lied and the great flowering of song from the likes of Schubert, Schumann and Wolf. He beings with the origins of this renaissance, from Quilter, Butterworth and Gurney through to the period between the wars, including the music of ireland and Finzi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00147jx

This is turning out to be exactly the sort of programme which so well suited to its subject that I had hoped for. Strongly recommended for lovers of this period of English music.

Many thanks SA this is right up my street, I'll listen on catch up via sounds as I do with all my Radio 3 listening nowadays.
I love English art song but I can't abide lieder, weird or what ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Many thanks SA this is right up my street, I'll listen on catch up via sounds as I do with all my Radio 3 listening nowadays.
I love English art song but I can't abide lieder, weird or what ?

I forgot to listen to the second episode, last night - another catch-up to do!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0014g8k

[Serial_Apologist]

I forgot to listen to the second episode, last night - another catch-up to do!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0014g8k

This was almost as good as the first episode; the only omission for me was Frank Bridge, but there it might be said that his most characteristic songs were written in the period his compositions were at their closest to the the English pastoral as represented by John Ireland - and the Britten selections were OK for anyone finding much of his output too often twee and cringeworthy. I'll try and remember to post link the last in the series closer to next weekend.

[Edgy 2]

This was almost as good as the first episode; the only omission for me was Frank Bridge, but there it might be said that his most characteristic songs were written in the period his compositions were at their closest to the the English pastoral as represented by John Ireland - and the Britten selections were OK for anyone finding much of his output too often twee and cringeworthy. I'll try and remember to post link the last in the series closer to next weekend.

[Edgy 2]

Cowen - Concertstuck
Somervell - Normandy 'Symphonic Variations' - Piano Concerto 'Highland'

Martin Roscoe, BBCSSO, Martyn Brabbins

Delightful

[Serial_Apologist]

This was almost as good as the first episode; the only omission for me was Frank Bridge, but there it might be said that his most characteristic songs were written in the period his compositions were at their closest to the the English pastoral as represented by John Ireland - and the Britten selections were OK for anyone finding much of his output too often twee and cringeworthy. I'll try and remember to post link the last in the series closer to next weekend.

Last in the series, 11pm tonight - songs by PMT, Wretched Rodney Bin It, and the Scottish pope, among other familiar and not so familiar names.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0014p10

[Edgy 2]

York Bowen

Sonatas for clarinet/flute/oboe/horn/cello/violin & piano

Endymion Ensemble

[Bryn]

York Bowen

Sonatas for clarinet/flute/oboe/horn/cello/violin & piano

Endymion Ensemble

Since you mention Bowen, I plan to listen to his Phantasy Quintet tonight. It's the first item on this delightful doubel album:

[ahinton]

Since you mention Bowen, I plan to listen to his Phantasy Quintet tonight. It's the first item on this delightful doubel album:

Dave Smith seems to be younger than I - or even perhaps he - thought!...