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ALSO AVAILABLE ON signumclassics

On Wenlock Edge Songs in Time of War Andrew Kennedy - tenor Alec Roth/ Vikram Seth SIGCD112 Mark Padmore - tenor SIGCD124

“Kennedy’s young tenor sounds utterly at ease in this CD of The English composer Alec Roth’s collaborations with the Housman settings by Vaughan Williams, Ivor Gurney and Ian Indian writer Vikram Seth continue with two song cycles Venables ... his musicianship is appealing, and the Dante drawing on Chinese culture and history, featuring the tenor Quartet accompany with gusto” Mark Padmore. The programme is balance by two pieces for solo guitar inspired by, written for and dedicated to the Mexican guitarist Morgan Szymanski.

“4 stars **** - the accompaniments for violin, harp and guitar are a joy” The Times

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POETRY SERENADE 16. A Child’s Sleep Soloist: Elin Manahan Thomas [2.29] Brian Knowles 17. Everyone Sang RSVP Voices [2.06]

Bonus Track

1. Written In March Soloist: Elin Manahan Thomas [3.08] 18. Love Came Down At Christmas Quartet: Jon Christos / Nick Garrett [2.10] / Elin Manahan Thomas 2. Lord Of The Winds Soloist: Nick Garrett [3.02] 3. He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven Soloist: Juliette Pochin [3.52] Total Timings [57.27] 4. I Remember, I Remember Soloist: Jon Christos [3.49] 5. The Daffodils Soloist: Elin Manahan Thomas [3.19] 6. The Soldier Soloist: Nick Garrett [4.35] 7. Night Mail Brighton Festival Youth Choir [2.52] Jon Christos • Nick Garrett Juliette Pochin • Elin Manahan Thomas 8. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep Soloist: Juliette Pochin [4.21] 9. She Walks In Beauty Soloist: Jon Christos [3.32] THE City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra 10. In Memoriam RSVP Voices [2.22] RSVP Voices - Director Rob Johnston (Tracks 2, 6, 10, 14, 17) 11. I Sing Of A Maiden Soloist: Elin Manahan Thomas [2.30] Brighton Festival Youth Choir - Director Juliette Pochin 12. Weathers Soloist: Juliette Pochin [1.35] (Tracks 7, 8, 11) 13. Come, Sweetheart, Come Soloists: Jon Christos & Elin Manahan Thomas [2.35] Conducted By James Morgan 14. Crossing The Bar Soloist: Nick Garrett [3.49] 15. The Lake Isle Of Innisfree Soloist: Jon Christos [3.07]

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I have always had a love of great poetry, both as a songs and sometimes a certain Celtic flavour can reader and a composer, and it is from this rich source be found in my music. No doubt my Irish mother that I have gained inspiration for writing many of accounts for much of this! Even when growing up my compositions. Indeed this source sometimes in Liverpool in the early sixties, I would eagerly seems endless and has provided me with many await each new release of The Beatles; their instinctive FOREWORD by opportunities to compose passionately about the genius for song writing hugely impressed me. I ALAN TITCHMARSH joys, tribulations, love and despair of life. It has have always enjoyed a melodic style of writing and enabled my creative spirit to flourish through although as a student composer at the Royal Brian Knowles is that rare thing - a composer of setting such poetry to music. Academy of Music in the mid sixties I was somewhat great originality who can also write good tunes! out of vogue, serialism being the fashionable pursuit, This CD is a terrific example of his work in setting A few years ago I composed settings of “He Wishes I remained loyal to my musical instincts, and to some of the nation’s favourite poems to music. For The Cloths Of Heaven” by W B Yeats and “The those who had such a prodigious influence on my Having enjoyed Brian’s work myself for many years Soldier” by Rupert Brooke. It would take a stony approach to composition. now, I’m happy to think that this CD will ensure it heart not to be inspired by such glorious poetry! of a wider audience. His is a talent that deserves Serenade The experience certainly whetted my appetite to set It has been a joyous labour setting these poems to greater recognition and I congratulate him on a more of these texts to music and, further encouraged music, and the eighteen songs of this album Poetry tremendous achievement. by my family, especially my sister, Sheila, the have been chosen to give the listener an Poetry Serenade project was born. I feel an affinity eclectic array of the differing texts and contrasting Alan Titchmarsh MBE with all of these poems, which has made my task styles of composition. I have received much welcomed as composer uncomplicated and so pleasurable. support and encouragement from my family, my manager Rob Johnston and my producers James When writing music, every composer owes so Morgan and Juliette Pochin, all of whom have spurred much to the great masters of the past. Purcell, me on. I can only hope that you enjoy these settings, Handel and Schubert all invigorate me with their so skilfully orchestrated by James and Juliette, own unique qualities, and the wonderful works of and performed with such expertise and artistry by more recent British composers such as John Ireland my soloists and all the musicians who took part in and have been inspirational. this project. I am greatly indebted to everyone who They have helped to mould the composer I am has helped to make Poetry a reality. Serenade today. I have also been influenced by Irish folk Brian Knowles

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TEXTS 2 LORD OF THE WINDS 4 I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER Continuous as the stars that shine Mary Coleridge (1861 - 1907) Thomas Hood (1799 - 1845) And twinkle on the milky way, 1 WRITTEN IN MARCH They stretch’d in never-ending line William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850) Lord of the winds, I cry to thee, I REMEMBER, I remember, Along the margin of a bay: I that am dust, The house where I was born, Ten thousand saw I at a glance THE cock is crowing, And blown about by every gust The little window where the sun Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The stream is flowing, I fly to thee. Came peeping in at morn; The small birds twitter, He never came a wink too soon, The waves beside them danced, but they The lake doth glitter, Lord of the waters, unto thee I call. Nor brought too long a day, Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:- The green field sleeps in the sun … I that am weed upon the waters borne, But now, I often wish the night A Poet could not but be gay And by the waters torn, Had borne my breath away! … In such jocund company! Like an army defeated Tossed by the waters, at thy feet I fall. I gazed - and gazed - but little thought The snow hath retreated, I remember, I remember What wealth the show to me had brought. And now doth fare ill 3 HE WISHES FOR THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN The fir trees dark and high; On the top of the bare hill; W.B. Yeats (1865 - 1939) I used to think their slender tops For oft, when on my couch I lie The plowboy is whooping-anon-anon: Were close against the sky: In vacant or in pensive mood, Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, It was a childish ignorance, They flash upon that inward eye There’s joy in the mountains; Enwrought with golden and silver light, But now ‘tis little joy Which is the bliss of solitude; There’s life in the fountains; The blue and the dim and the dark cloths To know I’m farther off from Heaven And then my heart with pleasure fills Small clouds are sailing, Of night and light and the half-light, Than when I was a boy. And dances with the daffodils. Blue sky prevailing; I would spread the cloths under your feet: The rain is over and gone! But I, being poor, have only my dreams; 5 THE DAFFODILS 6 THE SOLDIER I have spread my dreams under your feet; William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850) Rupert Brooke (1887 - 1915) Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. I wander’d lonely as a cloud If I should die, think only this of me: The words from He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven are set to That floats on high o’er vales and hills, That there’s some corner of a foreign field music by permission of A P Watt Ltd on behalf of Gráinne Yeats. When all at once I saw a crowd, That is forever England. There shall be A host of golden daffodils, In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; Beside the lake, beneath the trees A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. - 6 - - 7 - 138booklet 10/8/08 17:21 Page 9

Gave, once her flowers to love, her ways to roam, In the farm she passes no one wakes, One shade the more, one ray the less, Ring out the feud of rich and poor, A body of England’s, breathing English air, But a jug in a bedroom gently shakes … Had half impair’d the nameless grace Ring in redress to all mankind … Washed by the rivers, blessed by the suns of home. Used by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd Copyright © 1936, 1940 Which waves in every raven tress, All rights reserved. Or softly lightens o’er her face; Ring out the want, the care, the sin, And think, this heart, all evil shed away, Where thoughts serenely sweet express The faithless coldness of the times; A pulse in the eternal mind, no less 8 DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; But ring the fuller minstrel in. Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; Do not stand at my grave and weep; And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, I am not there. I do not sleep. So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, Ring out false pride in place and blood, In hearts a peace, under an English heaven. I am a thousand winds that blow. The smiles that win, the tints that glow, The civic slander and the spite; I am the diamond glints on snow. But tell of days in goodness spent, Ring in the love of truth and right, 7 NIGHT MAIL I am the sunlight on ripened grain. A mind at peace with all below, Ring in the common love of good … W.H. Auden (1907 - 1973) I am the gentle autumn rain. A heart whose love is innocent! When you awaken in the morning’s hush q I SING OF A MAIDEN THIS is the Night Mail crossing the border, I am the swift uplifting rush 0 IN MEMORIAM Anonymous -15th Century Bringing the cheque and the postal order, Of quiet birds in circled flight. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892) Letters for the rich, letters for the poor, I am the soft stars that shine at night. I sing of a maiden The shop at the corner, the girl next door. Do not stand at my grave and cry; RING out, wild bells, to the wild sky, That is matchless: Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb: I am not there. I did not die. The flying cloud, the frosty light: King of all kings The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time. The year is dying in the night; For her son she ches*. Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder, 9 SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Shovelling white steam over her shoulder, George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) He came all so stillè Snorting noisily, she passes Ring out the old, ring in the new, Where his mother was, Silent miles of wind-bent grasses. She walks in beauty, like the night Ring, happy bells, across the snow: As dew in Aprillè Birds turn their heads as she approaches, Of cloudless climes and starry skies; The year is going, let him go; That falls on the grass. Stare from the bushes at her blank-faced coaches. And all that’s best of dark and bright Ring out the false, ring in the true. Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course; Meet in her aspect and her eyes: He came all so stillè They slumber on with paws across. Thus mellow’d to that tender light Ring out the grief that saps the mind, To his mother’s bower, Which heaven to gaudy day denies. For those that here we see no more; As dew in Aprillè That falls on the flower. - 8 - - 9 - 138booklet 10/8/08 17:21 Page 11

He came all so stillè This is the weather the shepherd shuns, A lad and a maiden For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place Where his mother lay, And so do I; Sing to the lute … The flood may bear me far, As dew in Aprillè When beeches drip in browns and duns, I hope to see my Pilot face to face That falls on the spray. And thresh and ply; Dearest, delay not, When I have crossed the bar. And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe, Ours love to learn, I sing of a maiden And meadow rivulets overflow, I live not without thee, t THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE That is matchless: And drops on gate bars hang in a row, Love’s hour is come … W.B. Yeats (1865 - 1939) King of all kings And rooks in families homeward go, For her son she ches. And so do I. MSS of Salzburg, Canterbury, and Limoges 10th Century I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, Translated by Helen Waddell And a small cabin build there, of clay and By permission of the estate of Helen Waddell and Constable & Mother and maiden e COME, SWEETHEART, COME Robinson Ltd. wattles made: Was never none but she Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the Well may such a lady COME, sweetheart, come, r CROSSING THE BAR honey-bee, God’s mother be. Dear as my heart to me, Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892) And live alone in the bee-loud glade. Come to the room *ches: chose I have made fine for thee. SUNSET and evening star, And I shall have some peace there, for peace And one clear call for me! comes dropping slow, w WEATHERS Here there be couches spread, And may there be no moaning of the bar, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928) Tapestry tented, When I put out to sea, the cricket sings; Flowers for thee to tread, There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a THIS is the weather the cuckoo likes, Green herbs sweet scented. But such a tide as moving seems asleep, purple glow, And so do I; Too full for sound and foam, And evening full of the linnet’s wings. When showers betumble the chestnut spikes, Here is the table spread When that which drew from out the boundless deep And nestlings fly; Love, to invite thee, Turns again home. I will arise and go now, for always night and day And the little brown nightingale bills his best, Clear is the wine and red, I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; And they sit outside at ‘The Traveller’s Rest’, Love, to delight thee. Twilight and evening bell, While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest, And after that the dark! I hear it in the deep heart’s core. And citizens dream of the south and west, Sweet sounds the viol, And may there be no sadness of farewell, And so do I. Shriller the flute, When I embark; The words from The Lake Isle Of Innisfree are set to music by permission of A P Watt Ltd on behalf of Gráinne Yeats.

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y A CHILD’S SLEEP u EVERYONE SANG Worship we the Godhead, Carol Ann Duffy (b 1955) Siegfried Sassoon (1886 - 1967) Love Incarnate, Love Divine; Worship we our Jesus: I stood at the edge of my child’s sleep Everyone suddenly burst out singing; But wherewith for sacred sign? hearing her breathe; And I was filled with such delight although I could not enter there, As prisoned birds must find in freedom Love shall be our token, I could not leave. Winging wildly across the white Love shall be yours and love be mine, Orchards and dark-green fields; on; on; and out Love to God and to all men, Her sleep was a small wood, of sight. Love for plea and gift and sign. perfumed with flowers; dark, peaceful, sacred, Everyone’s voice was suddenly lifted, acred in hours. And beauty came like the setting sun. My heart was shaken with tears; and horror And she was the spirit that lives Drifted away … O but every one in the heart of such woods; Was a bird; and the song was wordless; without time, without history, the singing wordlessly good. will never be done. I spoke her name, a pebble dropped Copyright © Siegfried Sassoon by kind permission of the estate of in the still night, George Sassoon. and saw her stir, both open palms cupping their soft light; Bonus Track then went to the window. The greater dark i LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS outside the room Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894) gazed back, maternal, wise, with its face of moon. Love came down at Christmas, Text © Carol Ann Duffy Love all lovely, Love Divine; Reproduced by courtesy of Faber and Faber Ltd Love was born at Christmas, Star and angels gave the sign.

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great houses including , English BIOGRAPHIES National Opera and Opera National de Paris. Although Nick’s roots are firmly in opera, his Brian Knowles repertoire crosses all musical boundaries and he has performed music worldwide from Boulez Brian was born in Belfast in 1946 and was especially for HRH The Queen at the Service Of to Radiohead. educated at the Liverpool Blue Coat School. He Remembrance, and was broadcast worldwide from went on to study composition at the Royal the . In recent years Brian has Nick is an accomplished pianist and composer Academy Of Music. In 1970 he formed the group been working on setting these well-loved poems to and was a founding member and vocal arranger “Saffron”. Brian subsequently became Musical music - Poetry Serenade. He is also Composer In for the multi-platinum selling quintet “Amici Director of concerts worldwide for Roger Whittaker, Residence at The Royal School, Haslemere. Forever”. many of his songs being performed and recorded by both Saffron and Roger. In 2002 Brian’s anthem www.brianknowlesmusic.com www.nickgarrett.net

‘Jubilee Tribute’ was composed and performed © Jerry Clifford Jon Christos and The City of Manchester Stadium for the UEFA Jon Christos was educated at Chetham’s School of Cup final. After the success of his debut album Music and The Royal Northern College of Music, Northern Light, Jon’s second album Artist will be both as a Major Scholarship recipient. He has released at the end of 2008. performed leading operatic roles throughout the UK and Europe and is greatly in demand on the www.jonchristos.com concert platform. Jon has also appeared on numerous national TV and radio shows including Nick Garrett Songs Of Praise, and Friday Night is Music Night. Jon also hosts 2 radio shows of his own on Premier Nick Garrett studied voice and piano at Trinity and BBC Radio Lancashire. Having been the first College, London and is the recipient of a Wolfson artist to perform at the New Wembley Stadium, he Foundation Award. He has sung over forty has also performed at the Powergen Cup Final at operatic roles including Don Giovanni, Scarpia Twickenham, the Heineken Cup Final in Cardiff, and Figaro and has performed for many of the © Michael Chevis © Michael © Hugh O’Malley

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mit Gott,

Juliette Pochin She is the first singer ever to record Bach’s Alles but high quality orchestral recording in Prague for a birthday ode written in 1713 and Film, TV and Videogame scores. In some 15 years Cambridge educated, Juliette has a hugely varied with Iain Burnside and the compilations discovered in 2005. Elin received great acclaim for the orchestra has recorded over 1000 media be our Roof and successful career as singer, composer, and Classical Voices and Classical Greats. her Pie Jesu on Naxos’ award-winning recording of scores, working with composers like Elmer Brit-nominated record producer - from singing the the Rutter , and was praised as soloist in Bernstein, Maurice Jarre, Rachel Portman, Carl Angel in Dream of Gerontius with the CBSO to www.juliettepochin.com Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the Thomaskirche in Davis, Julian Nott, Alexandre Desplat, Joby Talbot, writing the music for The Kumars at No.42. She Leipzig, under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Wojciech Kilar and Gabriel Yared. released her critically acclaimed debut album Elin Manahan Thomas Venezia in 2006 (Classic FM Record of the Week), and Elin performed in Classic FM’s fifteenth birthday The orchestra have recorded more than 500 the follow up - The Domestic Diva - is due for release Born and bred in Swansea, before graduating from concert, at Songs of Praise’s ‘The Big Sing’ at the albums of music ranging from Christian Pop in 2009. As well as her international performing Clare College Cambridge in Anglo-Saxon, Norse Royal Albert Hall, and in the World Premiere of Sir to Avant-Garde Icelandic Minimalism, from career, she is a regular anthem singer at Wembley and Celtic, in 2007 Elin released her debut album ’s Requiem in Liverpool Cathedral. Modernist Italian Opera to Vintage Film Scores of and the Millenium Stadiums and has performed with Universal Classics and Jazz, Eternal Light, Concert performances range from Monteverdi to the Golden Age of Hollywood, as well as solo for the UN. Other recordings include The Sky Shall which entered the classical charts at number two. Mozart, and Purcell to Poulenc. albums for , Sarah Brightman, John Barrowman, Libera Me, The Ten Tenors and www.elinmanahan-thomas.co.uk Karl Jenkins.

THE City of Prague www.tadlowmusic.com Philharmonic Orchestra

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is an exclusive recording orchestra which comprises the cream of musicians from the various Czech orchestras, including many from the world renowned Czech Philharmonic.

Formed in 1992 by Josef Pokluda, George Durovic and James Fitzpatrick of Tadlow Music, the initial aim of the orchestra was to provide inexpensive © John-Paul Pochin © John-Paul © Tadlow Music Ltd © Tadlow © Stefan Schweiger

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Brighton Festival cup from the Verona International Choir Youth Choir Competition 2008 competing against adult choirs. Members of the choir have also been used in Brighton Festival Youth Choir consists of talented professional recordings with BMG and radio young singers aged between 11 and 18. Their first adverts. In 2009 they will perform at the O2 arena Recorded at Barrandov Studios/Smecky Studio, Prague (Autumn 2007) and Ashmead Studios, London (Spring 2008). performance was a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and will also feature on Juliette Pochin’s new Concert Masters - Petr Matejak and Lucie Svehlova 2002, while their concert debut was at the solo album. Recording Engineer - Jan Holzner Brighton Festival with the Translator - Stanja Vomackova Orchestral Contractor - James Fitzpatrick - Tadlow Music Ltd www.tadlowmusic.com and under Paul Daniel. RSVP Voices Produced, orchestrated and mixed by James Morgan and Juliette Pochin for Morgan Pochin Music Productions www.morganpochin.com Since their debut, this dynamic young choir have Cover Image - Shutterstock worked with the RPO, LPO, the Philharmonia, the RSVP Voices was founded in 2002 by their director Design and Artwork - Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk Poetry Serenade is a Figleaf Music Limited production , the , Rob Johnston and is made up from London’s finest www.figleafmusiclimited.com

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, L’Orchestra professional singers. The choir has a busy and Project Manager - Rob Johnston, Figleaf Music Limited National de Lorraine, and the Brighton Youth varied schedule and specialises in the recording www.figleafmusiclimited.com General Consultancy Services - John Cronin, Music and Media Consulting Limited Orchestra, under such conductors as Richard ofOrder film ofand the TV Phoenix, soundtracks The Hitchhikersas well as recording Guide to forthe www.musicandmediaconsulting.com CDs. Recent credits include: Harry Potter and the Hickox, Jacques Mercier, David Angus and Carl Galaxy, The Magic Roundabout, Finding Neverland All songs composed © by Brian R Knowles Davis. They have undertaken foreign tours to www.brianknowlesmusic.com Prague and Belgium and brought home a silver P 2008 The copyright in this recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd. (Oscar winner), Elizabeth 1 (BAFTA winner), C 2008 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd. Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of Dracula, Silent Witness and Daziel and Pascoe. copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, RSVP Voices also provided the backing vocals for mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. Jarvis Cocker’s debut album and performed live with Jarvis at the . SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] www.rsvpvoices.com www.signumrecords.com

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