583 Jane's Minstrels

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My Own Country Soprano JANE MANNING JANE'S MINSTRELS conductor ROGER MONTGOMERY

Songs and Music by Roger Quilter, Peter Warlock Frank Bridge, Ethel Smyth Page 2 Page 3

best, his style is finely balanced between light ballad more surprising for being the work of a woman in the My Own Country and art song, and Warlock, notably, acknowledged his male-dominated musical scene of her time, it has been debt to this kind of utterance, as did a number of Smyth's misfortune that her larger than life English song composers of the time, laced as it is with personality, splendidly represented in her extensive a French harmonic poise. Unlike Bridge, however, autobiographical writings, and her leading role in the Jane Manning ~ soprano Quilter hardly developed in manner or substance suffragette movement, have continued to divert throughout his long composing life, although , with his attention from the music. Susanne Stanzeleit ~ violin I Three Pastoral Songs of 1920, he proved still capable Marina Gillam ~ violin II of investing the well-tried style with a fresh impulse. To the unprejudiced ear, this undervaluing of Dorothea Vogel ~ viola Smyth's music may well seem incomprehensible, Adrian Bradbury ~ cello Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) belonged to a rather especially when becoming acquainted with her Four different musical world. Although still productive Songs for Voice, Flute, Harp, String Trio and Dominic Saunders ~ piano during the 1920s, she reached her seventieth year Percussion, composed in 1907. By this time, a certain Robert Manasse ~ flute before the end of the decade, at which point increasing Gallic grace had been incorporated into Smyth's Emily Pailthorpe ~ oboe/cor anglais deafness brought her composing to an end. Born a Germanically-based language, and the music flows generation before Bridge and Quilter, into a military with ease and individuality in broadly-conceived Dov Goldberg ~ B flat and E flat clarinet family which disapproved of her musical aspirations, paragraphs. The majestic progress of the first song, Martin Lawrence ~ horn she fought doggedly to achieve her artistic aims, and, Odelette, is deeply touching, and must be one of the Lucy Wakeford ~ harp like Quilter, ended up studying in Germany, where she composer's finest achievements, a noble love song of Roger Montgomery ~ conductor met and impressed, among others, the notoriously ambivalent feeling, with words by the French caustic Brahms. Her style shares little with the other 3 symbolist Henri de Régnier, translated by Alma composers, and we can hear traces of Strauss and even Strettell. To a delicately melancholy flute theme with Wagner, as well as Brahms, in her first pieces. anxious harp figuration, the lover confesses he would The generosity of her creative impulse found its not have allowed his feelings to develop if he had One of the richest and most productive periods in then, with probably much agony of mind occasioned ideal outlet in large-scale works, and she broke on to known himself better, but the loved one has accepted twentieth century English music, the 1920s, saw the by the War, he ventured far from the easygoing the London musical scene in 1891 with her Mass in D, his dangerous offering, and the textures clear composition of 3 of the works on this disc. The Edwardiansim of his previous work, and radically her most ambitious concert work, where something of magically to reveal cello harmonics, arpeggiated harp, youngest of the composers involved, the intellectually transformed himself. the spirit of Beethoven can be discerned. and high string tremolandos, in one of Smyth's precocious Philip Heseltine, (1894-1930), later to His grandeur of vision and deeply probing If Smyth had yet to find true individuality of style inspirational sonorities. In The Dance, the flute adopt the pseudonym Peter Warlock, had, without sensibilities compelled him to undertake a most here, the vigour and confidence of the writing unfolds an elegant and highly decorated line over the much formal training, discovered a language to courageous journey, and, forfeiting his former appeal, astonished her audience. harp's insistent rhythm, as the dancer pursues a dream embody his intense poetic vision towards the end of he embarked during the twenties on a series of through the autumn evening shades. Eventually the the First World War, and produced well over a hundred chamber and orchestral pieces which declared Ultimately, Smyth's reputation was destined to rest accompanying flute skips and falters at the songs of astonishing expressive and stylistic variety allegiance to the European modernists of his time. on her work for the theatre, where her fine sense of strangeness of the dance steps. To music of hymn-like during the next decade, only silenced by what was drama and orchestral colour came into its own. Her concentration, Chrysilla presents the poet's prayer for almost certainly his suicide. Two years Bridge's senior, Roger Quilter (1877- masterpiece was probably the opera, The Wreckers, his goddess to banish time from his death-bed. Instead, 1953), an exquisite craftsman though far more limited and this and her other five operas did not lack for he wants his lost youth to draw near, bringing love, By the time of Warlock's emergence, Frank Bridge artist, had also found himself earlier after studying in successful performances both abroad and at home painful though it is . This is the cycle's moment of (1879-1941) had already been writing superbly Frankfurt, establishing a new genre of recognisably during her lifetime, this at a time, moreover, when calm, and it leads to the wild drinking song of tailored late-Romantic music for over a decade, but English song with Love's Philosophy of 1905. At its there were no established opera companies in this Anacreontic Ode. Contrasting the mad frenzy of country. In spite of these solid musical successes, the drinking wine to the gods with the madness of Page 2 Page 3

bloodthirsty warriors, this tumultuous Rondo is rich in Despite his elegantly restrained and essentially or even think a whole song through. It was not until the Content (G), and Mockery (G-ish) . After the material, using a refrain of driving force, and an array conservative Edwardian style, Quilter possessed summer of 1990 that I turned my mind to Warlock astonishing scherzando of Mockery, there is a sudden of interlude themes, including a stamping waltz unexpectedly wide tastes, finding figures like more seriously. Now, for no special reason, I got the contrast, as we enter the dark dream world of Autumn (shades of Strauss's Elektra). Poetic ideas drawn from Debussy, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Gershwin very urge to tackle a Warlock project, both as a present to Twilight (D-F), reputedly Warlock's favourite among antiquity, characteristic of late 19th-century French much to his liking. Peter Warlock ranged even more my wife, (still one of the finest exponents of Warlock his songs. This marks the emotional centre of gravity verse, which inform all the songs of this cycle, enabled widely in his tastes, reaching out to the likes of songs I know, although her fame lies in other areas ), of the cycle. Finally, there is a roistering song, Away to Smyth to distance herself from the poignant human Schoenberg and Bartok, as well as Delius, van Dieren and as a relaxation after the draining experience of Twiver (B), the finest in a genre which, despite its emotions she was dealing with, and she commands an and the Elizabethans. But in his case the predilections writing Time's Arrow for that summer's Promenade popularity with some Warlockians, does not always almost classical world of feeling throughout. This affected his own music, and it is one of his most Concerts. I was about to embark on one of the most represent the composer at his best. It is also about the highly individual masterwork, perhaps the first piece extraordinary achievements that he welded these enjoyable tasks of my career. only song of its kind which I thought Jane would be in of vocal chamber music in the modern English manifold influences into a masterfully integrated and sympathy with. Her Rabelaisian sense of humour has repertoire, has long been unjustly neglected. highly personal style. The choice of songs turned out to be tricky, although always been tempered by a certain scorn on the subject various factors helped to limit my search. Strangely, of men being silly together. Neglected, too, at least in recent years, has been the In songs of vastly differing types, from the the suitability for instrumental treatment was not one extensive output of songs by Roger Quilter. During melancholic and well-nigh atonal to the diatonically of them, because nearly every song I looked at quickly I still had to determine the precise instrumentation, his long and productive life, however, and for some dissonant and extrovert, Warlock established a unique suggested a possible instrumentation. Other knowing only that it would have to be capable of time after, Quilter was possibly the most popular of all world which still retains its fascination. The 8 necessities focused my mind more usefully: firstly, varied wind and string sonorities, possibly with harp. English song writers. Ever a total master of what arrangements which make up the present writer's they had to be appropriate for Jane to sing, which For a time I considered the idea of using The Curlew's works for the voice, in terms of the perfect placing of Aspects of Love and Contentment are very much a immediately ruled out a whole range of songs whose flute, cor anglais and string quartet, but I could not rid vowels and consonants, and of how the piano can product of this fascination, for I have loved the very words or sentiments were unsuitable; secondly, they my mind of clarinet and horn sounds, so I decided contribute and support in harmony and texture, Quilter fibre and spirit of Warlock's work since discovering it had to cohere into an emotional and tonal scheme. It upon flute, oboe, clarinet (with doublings on piccolo, charmed listeners and performers alike. However, the as a teenager. At an early stage I began without would be no use just picking favourites without cor anglais and E flat clarinet), horn, harp and string elegance and fastidiousness of the composer's work, conscious intention to imagine instrumental colours thought of pace, contrast and poetic atmosphere. quartet. I started with Consider. Although awkward to coupled with the modesty of his artistic scope, appears while listening to the songs. It was only later that I Finally, I wished to show Warlock's stylistic range and play, it possesses one of the most pianistic textures to have led subsequent eras to underestimate its value. heard the composer's own string quartet arrangements, breadth of feeling. among Warlock's songs, and for a while it resolutely Its relationship to the salon music of his time has as well as that wonderfully-conceived cycle The refused to translate. Then, the penny suddenly prevented some from probing the exquisite surfaces of Curlew, and it occurs to me now that, had Warlock I eventually decided on a sequence which would dropped: the harp could reproduce a simplified the songs in order to find the vein of true poetry lived longer, he would have found the now fashionable encompass a tritone, a favourite tonal relationship of version of the piano's figuration, strings amplifying beneath. Nowhere is this truer than in the Pastoral medium of vocal chamber music such as we find in , mine, and one which significantly had generated the with fingered tremolandos, wind delivering thematic Songs, where the very title has begun to suggest a say, Webern and Dallapiccola, much to his taste. As it whole structure of Time's Arrow. Having narrowed fragments and certain lines that emerge from the dated utterance. If merely read aloud, Joseph was, he wrote for the market of his time, which down the number of songs which I intuitively felt to be piano's arpeggios. I finished the arrangement on the Campbell's words, on subjects rarely encountered demanded songs in the ballad style with piano support. workable, I began to perceive an emotional and day of my Prom premiere. elsewhere in Quilter's work, do sound fey, but the very The quartet arrangements betray the true nature of psychological journey which that might outline, and sincerity of the music creates a palpable outdoor Warlock's thinking, and the layout of his piano parts made my final selection. They would be about the Rather than continue with a catalogue of the freshness, experienced in a world of real feeling. The often suggest partly submerged orchestral or, more more contented aspects of love in all its forms. The treatments I used for each miniature poetic world that longing in the last song for the land of faërie is no mere accurately perhaps, chamber orchestral thought. cycle opens in vernal freshness with Consider, a Warlock created, let me cite a few which I was 'camp' conceit, for beneath it lies the pain that Quilter There is a fascinating ambivalence in this aspect of the brilliant allegro in F with teeming nature imagery, especially glad to have invented. One of the most must constantly have endured as a homosexual before songs, and for many years I slowly accumulated a sinks down a semitone into the heart-breaking extraordinary experiences I had while working on the more enlightened times. collection of instrumental treatments of cherished intimacy of Late Summer, a very slow song, and then arrangements involved the high-pitched, crackling passages, never going so far as to write anything down progressively regains pace over the next 4 songs The textures I had devised for Mockery, with piccolo and E Contented Lover, ( A flat), My Own Country (G), Sweet flat clarinet prominent. This was one of the few places Page 4 Page 5

where I slightly altered the spacing of Warlock's Delian emphasis of wind solos and string harmonies motivic thirds eventually assume a more chords to suit the instrumental sonority, and I was which encourage the overwhelmingly sensuous Late conventionally scalic form, becomes intensely testing one or two high-lying lines at the piano, when Summer to yield its secrets. inward, wonderfully personalised by Bridge's Jane called through from an upper room with " Why do command of colour and textural spacing, and after a you keep playing Mendelssohn's Wedding March?" The highly chromatic and, at times, bi-tonal brief development the main subjects return in their True enough, Warlock had embedded that famous tune harmonies which Warlock has recourse to at peaks of original order - not reversed, as in the typical Bridge in the texture, including it also in the vocal line at expressive intensity in the songs link him to the later arch-form. All that remains is for the coda to return the "Mocks married men,for thus sings he". I had known music of Frank Bridge. The latter's chamber music to the ghostly region of the opening, and there the song for 30 years without having spotted the orchestral piece There is a Willow Grows Aslant a the work evaporates. At no point has the restricted quotation. The excruciating harmony Warlock had Brook, for instance, is a close relative in language and compass of the music, founded on the viola's bottom invented for the phrase had so distracted my attention feeling with Warlock's cycle The Curlew. It is in his C, limited its emotional scope; indeed, it is turned to and tickled the ear, that I had only registered the instrumental music, however, that the essence of great expressive account, and the Trio numbers with chords. I have never seen this quotation mentioned in Bridge's musical vision is to be found, and the Bridge's most subtle and individual creations, as books on Warlock. Rhapsody for Two Violins and Viola (1928) is an many-sided in its way as more ambitious outstanding example. After the success of his Third achievements. The Rhapsody Trio uncovers deep For the brittle scherzando of Mockery I marshalled String Quartet, which was dedicated to his patroness layers of Bridge's musical soul, and inhabits an an array of glittering textures, sharply juxtaposing Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the work which marked unprecedented world. wind, strings and harp in an order dictated partly by the his coming-of-age as a European modernist, Bridge © Anthony Payne harp's chromatic shortcomings. This contrasts embarked on the Rhapsody Trio as a heartfelt present strongly with the blended sonorities of the following for Mrs. Coolidge, hoping she would find a place for it song Autumn Twilight, where the tolling octaves of in one of the many concerts she subsidised. Warlock's marvellously imagined harmonic texture, Unfortunately, the Depression forced Mrs. Coolidge and the hypnotically repetitive figuration almost to limit her activities, and the Trio was never arrange themselves. If ever there was a disguised performed in the composer's lifetime. In fact, it was orchestral accompaniment in a Warlock piano part, not until 1965 that it received its public premiere. It this is it, and at the close I was able, with enormous shows Bridge's mastery of string sonority at its height, relish, to write down the Mahlerian fading in wind, and articulates a private and elusive world very typical strings and harp, that I had envisaged when I first came of his late style. across the song in my early twenties. The heart- stopping final resonance of high B natural over deep F The motive working is no less tight here than in the major triads, with added fourths D, G and C had Third Quartet or There is a Willow, the utmost always cried out for sustaining instruments, one of the economy of thought giving an impression of rich few instances in Warlock where his piano is incapable profusion, and Bridge continues the preoccupation of representing his imaginative flight. with interlocking major and minor thirds characteristic of those other works. A short Other processes which gave particular satisfaction introduction sets out two basic types of material, quick were the alternation and blending of string and wind and slow, both spectral in mood, and there follows a groups in My Own Country, where the clarinet is main section of energetically lyrical counterpoint. Its frequently placed in its low register beneath the horn, two main groups, in what is in effect a seamless flow with the oboe riding above to produce a pastoral of music, are permeated with motives from the resonance. Then, earlier in the cycle, there is the introduction. The slow central section, in which the Page 7 Page 6

ROGER QUILTER: Now the low moon is looking through ASPECTS OF LOVE AND CONTENTMENT. THE CONTENTED LOVER (James Mabbe) The glimmer of the honey-dew. Now sleep and take thy rest, THREE PASTORAL SONGS. (Joseph Campbell). A petal trembles to the grass, EIGHT SONGS OF PETER WARLOCK Once griev'd and pain-èd wight The feet of fairies pass and pass. ARRANGED BY ANTHONY PAYNE Since she now loves thee best I WILL GO WITH MY FATHER A- Who is thy heart's delight. PLOUGHING. In Cherry Valley the cherries blow, For Voice and Nine Players. I will go with my father a-ploughing The valley paths are white as snow, Let joy be thy soul's guest, To the green field by the sea, White as snow. CONSIDER (Ford Madox Ford) And care be banish'd quite, And the rooks and the crows and the seagulls Now green comes springing o'er the heath, Since she hath thee express'd Will come flocking after me, I WISH AND I WISH. (Joseph Campbell). And each small bird with lifted breath To be her favourite. I will sing to the patient horses I wish and I wish and I wish I were Cries, 'Brother, consider the joy there is in living!' With the lark in the shine of the air, A golden bee in the blue of the air, 'Consider, consider!' MY OWN COUNTRY (Hilaire Belloc) And my father will sing the plough song Winging my way at the mouth of day The jolly throstle saith! I shall go without companions, That blesses the cleaving share. To the honey marges of Loch-Kyoon-bawn; And with nothing in my hand; Or a little green drake, or a silver swan, The golden gorse, the wild thyme frail and sweet, I shall pass through many places I will go with my father a-sowing Floating upon the stream of Aili, The butter-cowslip pale, That I cannot understand- To the red field by the sea, And I to be swimming gaily, gaily. Cry 'Sisters, consider the peace that comes with Until I come to my own country, And the rooks and the gulls and the starlings giving, Which is a pleasant land. Will come flocking after me. I wish and I wish and I wish I could be And render, and render your sweet and scented I will sing to the striding sowers A bud on a branch of the red thorn tree breath!' The trees that grow in my own country With the finch on the flow'ring sloe, That blows at the head of Blanid's Bed, Are the beech tree and the yew; And my father will sing the seed-song And sheds a petal at ev'ry breath; Now men, come walking o'er the heath Many stand together , That only the wise men know. Or a white milestone on the shining path To mark this pretty world beneath, And some stand few. That climbs the cairn and dips the hollow, Bethink them: In the month of May in my own country I will go with my father a-reaping Up to the walls of bright Moy-malla. 'Consider the joy might lie in living, All the woods are new. To the brown field by the sea, None striving, constraining none, And the geese and the crows and the children If wishes were fairies I would not stay, And thinking not on Death!' When I get to my own country Will come flocking after me. But they would wile my soul away; I shall lie down and sleep; I will sing to the weary reapers And peace would creep into my sleep LATE SUMMER (Edward Shanks) I shall watch in the valleys With the wren in the heat of the sun, As soft as a dream at even-fall, The fields are full of summer still The long flocks of sheep, And my father will sing the scythe-song When the crickets sing and the curlews call; And breathe again upon the air And then I shall dream, for ever and all, That joys for the harvest done. And 'tis I would wake for no new morrow From brown dry side of hedge and hill A good dream and deep. On the grey round of this world of sorrow. More sweetness than the sense can bear. CHERRY VALLEY. SWEET CONTENT (Thomas Dekker) In Cherry Valley the cherries blow; So some old couple who in youth Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers? The valley paths are white as snow, With love were filled and over-full, O sweet content! White as snow. And loved with strength and loved with truth, Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplex-èd? And in their time with clusters red In heavy age are beautiful. O punishment! The heavy boughs are crimsoned, Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vex-èd to add Crimsonèd. To golden numbers golden numbers? O sweet content, O sweet, O sweet content! AUTUMN TWILIGHT (Arthur Symons) The butler was quick and the ale he did tap, Shall we for spinning give to gentle hands Work apace, apace, apace, The long September evening dies The maidens did make the chamber full gay; Fashion'd for the weaving of joy Honest labour bears a lovely face, In mist along the fields and lanes. The serving-men gave me a fuddling cap, The rugged hemp, the wool uncleansèd, Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny! Only a few faint stars surprise the lingering And I did carry it away, away! Meeter for toilers? twilight as it wanes. Canst drink the waters of the crisp-èd spring? The smith of the town his liquor so took Yet behold! On the path thou standest before me, O sweet content! Night creeps across the darkening vale; That he was persuaded the ground look'd blue; Where in my life the crossways meet. Swim'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own On the horizon tree by tree And I dare boldly to swear on a book tears? Fades into shadowy skies as pale as moonlight on a Such smiths as he there are but a few. The stream doth lave thy feet, O punishment! shadowy sea. Here droops a rose …her stem is danger-laden! Then he that patiently want's burden bears - A posset was made and the women did sip, Yet hast thou culled it! No burden bears, but is a King, a King! And down the mist-enfolded lanes, And simpering said they could eat no more; Yet hast thou culled it! O sweet content, O sweet, O sweet content! Grown pensive now with evening, Full many a maid was laid on the lip: Yea, though yon distaff borne by Fate Work apace, apace, apace, See, lingering as the twilight wanes, I'll say no more but so give o'er. Be heavy with the burden of life's uncertain thread, Honest labour bears a lovely face, Lover with lover wandering. Yet canst thou smile, thus enthroned, Then Hey nonny nonny, Hey nonny nonny! Thus alone enthron'd in my heart, AWAY TO TWIVER. ETHEL SMYTH: Thy hand clasping fearlessly mine! MOCKERY (William Shakespeare) (From 'The Famous History of Friar Bacon', Yet canst thou smile, thus alone enthroned within When daisies pied, and violets blue, printed before 1600) FOUR SONGS FOR VOICE AND my heart! And lady-smocks all silver-white, INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE. And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue And did you not hear of a mirth that befell Had I but known the way of my love, Do paint the meadows with delight, The morrow after a wedding day, ODELETTE. My life to thine had ne'er been linked, The cuckoo then, on every tree, At carrying a bride at home to dwell? (H. de Régnier, English version by Alma Strettell) My life to thine had ne'er been link'd, Mocks married men, for thus sings he, And away to Twiver, away, away! Nor these my thoughts to thy days! Cuckoo, cuckoo! Had I but known the way of my love, Had I but seen, seen my path, O word of fear, The quintain was set and the garlands were made, Seen in what paths my life must move, Had I known, known my love! Unpleasing to a married ear! 'Tis pity old custom should ever decay; Guess'd what my thought held unrevealed, Ne'er had I link'd thy life with mine! And woe be to him that was horsed on a jade, My life had ne'er been link'd to thine, When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, For he carried no credit away, away! To thy dear thoughts, to these thy ways, THE DANCE And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, I ne'er had will'd with thine to blend, (H. de Régnier, English version by Alma Strettell). When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, We met a consort of fiddle-de-dees, With thine to blend such love as mine! And maidens bleach their summer smocks, We set them a cock-horse, and made them to play Thou dancest - gentle evening spreads sadly its The cuckoo then, on every tree, The Winning of Bullen and Upsie frees; Shall we then give our beloved shade, Mocks married men, for thus sings he, And away to Twiver, away, away! Flowr's beset with thorns sharpen'd to tear? The cypress and pine alone are green in the glade, Cuckoo, cuckoo! Wantonly show streams that are bitter Where birch weds with elm, and the ash with the O word of fear, There was ne'er a lad in all the parish To them that thirst? beeches, Unpleasing to a married ear! That would go to the plough, to the plough that day Crimsoned bravely by Autumn as far as eye But on his fore-horse his wench he carries; reaches, And away to Twiver, away, away! And flecked with purple and gold from her store. O sweet content, O sweet, O sweet content! AUTUMN TWILIGHT (Arthur Symons) The butler was quick and the ale he did tap, Shall we for spinning give to gentle hands Work apace, apace, apace, The long September evening dies The maidens did make the chamber full gay; Fashion'd for the weaving of joy Honest labour bears a lovely face, In mist along the fields and lanes. The serving-men gave me a fuddling cap, The rugged hemp, the wool uncleansèd, Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny! Only a few faint stars surprise the lingering And I did carry it away, away! Meeter for toilers? twilight as it wanes. Canst drink the waters of the crisp-èd spring? The smith of the town his liquor so took Yet behold! On the path thou standest before me, O sweet content! Night creeps across the darkening vale; That he was persuaded the ground look'd blue; Where in my life the crossways meet. Swim'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own On the horizon tree by tree And I dare boldly to swear on a book tears? Fades into shadowy skies as pale as moonlight on a Such smiths as he there are but a few. The stream doth lave thy feet, O punishment! shadowy sea. Here droops a rose …her stem is danger-laden! Then he that patiently want's burden bears - A posset was made and the women did sip, Yet hast thou culled it! No burden bears, but is a King, a King! And down the mist-enfolded lanes, And simpering said they could eat no more; Yet hast thou culled it! O sweet content, O sweet, O sweet content! Grown pensive now with evening, Full many a maid was laid on the lip: Yea, though yon distaff borne by Fate Work apace, apace, apace, See, lingering as the twilight wanes, I'll say no more but so give o'er. Be heavy with the burden of life's uncertain thread, Honest labour bears a lovely face, Lover with lover wandering. Yet canst thou smile, thus enthroned, Then Hey nonny nonny, Hey nonny nonny! Thus alone enthron'd in my heart, AWAY TO TWIVER. ETHEL SMYTH: Thy hand clasping fearlessly mine! MOCKERY (William Shakespeare) (From 'The Famous History of Friar Bacon', Yet canst thou smile, thus alone enthroned within When daisies pied, and violets blue, printed before 1600) FOUR SONGS FOR VOICE AND my heart! And lady-smocks all silver-white, INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE. And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue And did you not hear of a mirth that befell Had I but known the way of my love, Do paint the meadows with delight, The morrow after a wedding day, ODELETTE. My life to thine had ne'er been linked, The cuckoo then, on every tree, At carrying a bride at home to dwell? (H. de Régnier, English version by Alma Strettell) My life to thine had ne'er been link'd, Mocks married men, for thus sings he, And away to Twiver, away, away! Nor these my thoughts to thy days! Cuckoo, cuckoo! Had I but known the way of my love, Had I but seen, seen my path, O word of fear, The quintain was set and the garlands were made, Seen in what paths my life must move, Had I known, known my love! Unpleasing to a married ear! 'Tis pity old custom should ever decay; Guess'd what my thought held unrevealed, Ne'er had I link'd thy life with mine! And woe be to him that was horsed on a jade, My life had ne'er been link'd to thine, When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, For he carried no credit away, away! To thy dear thoughts, to these thy ways, THE DANCE And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, I ne'er had will'd with thine to blend, (H. de Régnier, English version by Alma Strettell). When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, We met a consort of fiddle-de-dees, With thine to blend such love as mine! And maidens bleach their summer smocks, We set them a cock-horse, and made them to play Thou dancest - gentle evening spreads sadly its The cuckoo then, on every tree, The Winning of Bullen and Upsie frees; Shall we then give our beloved shade, Mocks married men, for thus sings he, And away to Twiver, away, away! Flowr's beset with thorns sharpen'd to tear? The cypress and pine alone are green in the glade, Cuckoo, cuckoo! Wantonly show streams that are bitter Where birch weds with elm, and the ash with the O word of fear, There was ne'er a lad in all the parish To them that thirst? beeches, Unpleasing to a married ear! That would go to the plough, to the plough that day Crimsoned bravely by Autumn as far as eye But on his fore-horse his wench he carries; reaches, And away to Twiver, away, away! And flecked with purple and gold from her store. Thou dancest , and methinks 'tis the summer once CHRYSILLA. (H.de Régnier, English version by ANACREONTIC ODE. And I, and I, my brow crown'd with flow'rs, more, Alma Strettell) (Leconte de Lisle, English version by Ethel Smyth.) Crown'd with flow’rs, girt not with buckler and Voluptuous, aglow, in her indolent wantonness sword, playing! When the cup is fill'd full and my strength shall be Ho! Bring me wine, and to the gods be drain'd the But cup in hand, Eyes half-closed, on tiptoe a-swaying, failing, bowl! My brow crown'd with flow'rs, girt not with buckler Thou upliftest both arms to catch, as would seem, O Goddess, spare me the sight about my bed I would fain be fill'd with the frenzy of wine, with and sword, And embrace ere it fade some half-finish'd dream Of unregretting Time, that cuts too late the thread, the frenzy of wine, Tearless ending a life undesir'd, unavailing. Yea, be mad, mad with wine! I fain would be mad with the frenzy of wine, yea Some fading half-finish'd dream Drink till mad with wine. T'ward whose lips, step by step, thou dost turn thee, Arm thou but Love instead! Madness fell on Orestes, youth white of foot, Then fill the bowl, for drain it I will! Seeking the kiss that bitter or sweet, flies past thee Of old upon my heart he wars, Whose hand, like unto Alcmaeous with a mother's on the wind. Full well I know that he were fain to love was stained, Drink till I be mad with wine, drink till I be mad Dye the earth with cruel red, With blood was stained. with wine! Thou dancest, gliding silently and swiftly by, And see my life blood's rain Ho there! Wine, bring me wine, Still pursuing a dream that evermore doth fly, Burst streaming from the wound But I whose hand shed the blood of no man, of no And to the gods this cup I drain! Still pursuing a dream that evermore doth fly. Of his last fiercest dart. man, I will drink till madness shall seize me, madness Green is the cypress yet, nor suffers autumn change; Ah! No! Let my lost youth with a smile, begot of good wine, As 'neath this pine I sit, at thy rhythm so strange Let my lost youth with a smile then draw nigh me. Ho! Wine! My flute, so long obedient and faithful, pauses and For I will drink unto the gods, drink unto the gods falters: In naked beauty standing silently by me, till I be mad, yea! Letting fall one by one the petals of a rose. Mad with wine! Thou art weary, thy dance on my song waits 'Farewell' the fountain sobs and calmly mine ear doubting, hearkens, Once in the days of yore Hercules, possessed, Thy dance waits doubting, while yet around thy feet What need of scythe or dart? Made all hearts to quake, quake for fear, on the mould Mine eyelids then will close, With the bow and the quiver of war-like young The leaves circle and dance, soft leaves of flutt'ring Sealed with a last long kiss, Iphitus, gold, As the shadow darkens. With the quiver of Iphitus, of young Iphitus the war- While yet round thy feet on the mould soft leaves like! flutter and dance, Soft leaves of circling gold, soft leaves of circling Thus too did Ajax, Ajax infuriate, gold. Madly storm and rage, storm and rage, With shield held aloft, his mighty shield of seven hides, Of seven hides, While the sword of great Hector he swung, While the sword of Hector he swung Madly raging, raging! Thou dancest , and methinks 'tis the summer once CHRYSILLA. (H.de Régnier, English version by ANACREONTIC ODE. And I, and I, my brow crown'd with flow'rs, more, Alma Strettell) (Leconte de Lisle, English version by Ethel Smyth.) Crown'd with flow’rs, girt not with buckler and Voluptuous, aglow, in her indolent wantonness sword, playing! When the cup is fill'd full and my strength shall be Ho! Bring me wine, and to the gods be drain'd the But cup in hand, Eyes half-closed, on tiptoe a-swaying, failing, bowl! My brow crown'd with flow'rs, girt not with buckler Thou upliftest both arms to catch, as would seem, O Goddess, spare me the sight about my bed I would fain be fill'd with the frenzy of wine, with and sword, And embrace ere it fade some half-finish'd dream Of unregretting Time, that cuts too late the thread, the frenzy of wine, Tearless ending a life undesir'd, unavailing. Yea, be mad, mad with wine! I fain would be mad with the frenzy of wine, yea Some fading half-finish'd dream Drink till mad with wine. T'ward whose lips, step by step, thou dost turn thee, Arm thou but Love instead! Madness fell on Orestes, youth white of foot, Then fill the bowl, for drain it I will! Seeking the kiss that bitter or sweet, flies past thee Of old upon my heart he wars, Whose hand, like unto Alcmaeous with a mother's on the wind. Full well I know that he were fain to love was stained, Drink till I be mad with wine, drink till I be mad Dye the earth with cruel red, With blood was stained. with wine! Thou dancest, gliding silently and swiftly by, And see my life blood's rain Ho there! Wine, bring me wine, Still pursuing a dream that evermore doth fly, Burst streaming from the wound But I whose hand shed the blood of no man, of no And to the gods this cup I drain! Still pursuing a dream that evermore doth fly. Of his last fiercest dart. man, I will drink till madness shall seize me, madness Green is the cypress yet, nor suffers autumn change; Ah! No! Let my lost youth with a smile, begot of good wine, As 'neath this pine I sit, at thy rhythm so strange Let my lost youth with a smile then draw nigh me. Ho! Wine! My flute, so long obedient and faithful, pauses and For I will drink unto the gods, drink unto the gods falters: In naked beauty standing silently by me, till I be mad, yea! Letting fall one by one the petals of a rose. Mad with wine! Thou art weary, thy dance on my song waits 'Farewell' the fountain sobs and calmly mine ear doubting, hearkens, Once in the days of yore Hercules, possessed, Thy dance waits doubting, while yet around thy feet What need of scythe or dart? Made all hearts to quake, quake for fear, on the mould Mine eyelids then will close, With the bow and the quiver of war-like young The leaves circle and dance, soft leaves of flutt'ring Sealed with a last long kiss, Iphitus, gold, As the shadow darkens. With the quiver of Iphitus, of young Iphitus the war- While yet round thy feet on the mould soft leaves like! flutter and dance, Soft leaves of circling gold, soft leaves of circling Thus too did Ajax, Ajax infuriate, gold. Madly storm and rage, storm and rage, With shield held aloft, his mighty shield of seven hides, Of seven hides, While the sword of great Hector he swung, While the sword of Hector he swung Madly raging, raging! JANE MANNING (soprano) D O N N I T H O R N E ' S JANE'S MINSTRELS, who made their debut in July Notable premieres have included MATTHEW KING's has more than 40 years’ MAGGOT to great acclaim in 1988 at the Ryedale Festival, were hand-picked from fairytale opera THE SNOW QUEEN, at the QEH, international experience in an Australia, Italy, Spain and Britain's most gifted young musicians by Jane ANTHONY PAYNE's 'Scenes from the Woodlanders' exceptionally wide-ranging London, and giving the Manning, representing an entirely new concept in and 'Poems of Edward Thomas', and ALISON repertoire .She has given more premiere of Joanna Lee's ensembles, which cuts across barriers of generation BAULD's PLUTO, a Spitalfields Festival commission than 350 world premieres to CHANSONS INNOCENTES and idiom. (one of many appearances at this Festival, in both its date, (including several with the Orchestra of the Winter and Summer seasons). operas) and has worked Swan. In September 2009 she MINSTRELS swiftly attained an enviable closely with composers such performed Schoenberg's DIE international reputation, acclaimed by Press and Recent engagements have included an SPNM project as Boulez, Birtwistle, Cage, JAKOBSLEITER in Helsinki public. As well as a nomination for one of LEB's at Kingston University, with newly commissioned Carter, Knussen, and Weir. under Sakari Oramo, and a 'Brightening-Up London' Awards, their first full pieces placed alongside Schoenberg's PIERROT concert in February 2010 at season featured 3 London appearances, 2 of them at the LUNAIRE, a South Bank concert of Schoenberg, Her catalogue of CDs includes the South Bank Centre will South Bank for the SPNM and the Park Lane Group, Webern and new pieces, a performance of Walton's the major song cycles of celebrate her 45 years of and a tour of Spain. Engagements at the Aldeburgh FAÇADE, with Tim Pigott-Smith, and a Messiaen, all Satie's vocal professional singing. Festival and Dartington, and visits to Italy, Denmark, 'Harlequinade' at Hampton Court. They also gave the music, and works by Berg, Norway and Belgium quickly followed. Their premiere of Anthony Payne's Horn Trio at the Wallace Dallapiccola, Ligeti and She was awarded the OBE in programmes combine contemporary works with Collection. In February 2010 they will perform this, as Schoenberg (including 3 1990, and holds Honorary classics, with special emphasis on British music. All well as the Smyth and Bridge works on this CD, at the recordings of her admired D o c t o r a t e s f r o m t h e the players now have flourishing individual careers, South Bank Centre in a special celebration concert to interpretation of PIERROT Universities of Durham, and are in great demand for their versatility and wide- mark their 20th Anniversary season. LUNAIRE) with conductors Keele and York. She is a ranging sympathies. including Boulez and Rattle. She has sung all over the Fellow of both the Royal Academy and the Royal Roger Montgomery studied at the University of York Continent, North America and Australasia and at most College of Music. She is married to the composer, Highlights over the years have included Jane and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with of the world's leading halls and festivals. writer and broadcaster ANTHONY PAYNE. Manning's 25th Anniversary performance of Anthony Halstead. Interested in contemporary music . Schoenberg's PIERROT LUNAIRE , and the SPNM's and period instrument performance he plays horn with Apart from her activities in contemporary music, she She has just completed 3 years as AHRC Creative Arts 50th Anniversary Gala, both at the Queen Elizabeth many of the leading groups in both fields, and is a has taken major roles in operas by Purcell, Mozart and Research Fellow at Kingston University, undertaking Hall, a Vienna Festival programme of works by member of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Britten and performed and broadcast programmes of a major study of PIERROT LUNAIRE, which is to be JUDITH WEIR, visits to Madrid and Turku, concerts He regularly plays guest principal with many of the German lieder and French song, especially for the published shortly as an audio/text book. She is now in Poland during the ISCM World Music Days, and a London orchestras. BBC. She has also appeared in Light Music Visiting Professor at Kingston. She is also a Visiting Proms Chamber Concert, as well as special Birthday As a soloist he has regularly performed the standard programmes for the BBC, as well as many Promenade Professor at the Royal College of Music, and was for 6 Concerts for Jane Manning (Wigmore Hall 2003) and solo repertoire by Mozart, Haydn and Britten in the Concerts. She has a special interest in English Song years Honorary Professor at Keele University. Anthony Payne (South Bank 2006).Their second tour UK, Europe and Australia, also performing Weber's and, for her debut recital for the BBC, chose an entire Her books: NEW VOCAL REPERTORY (AN of the USA in 1997 included an appearance in the Concertino on natural horn live on Finnish Radio and programme of Warlock songs, including all but one of INTRODUCTION) and NEW VOCAL REPERTORY famed Monday Evening Concerts at Los Angeles giving the 1st solo part in Schumann's Konzertstück in the current selection, accompanied by the late Viola 2 are published by Oxford University Press. She has County Museum. the Barbican, Paris and the Lincoln Center, as well as Tunnard. The Smyth songs on this CD featured also contributed a chapter to Cambridge University recording the work for Deutsche Grammophon. regularly in several of her earliest concerts with Jane's Press's forthcoming HISTORY OF MUSICAL Their four recordings for NMC have won critical Minstrels, the ensemble she hand-picked in 1988. PERFORMANCE, and wrote the chapter on the song acclaim, the first of them, featuring music by cycles for Faber & Faber's A MESSIAEN ELISABETH LUTYENS, selected as a Record of the She continues to enjoy an active performing career, COMPANION. Year by The Gramophone. recently singing Maxwell Davies's MISS JANE MANNING (soprano) D O N N I T H O R N E ' S JANE'S MINSTRELS, who made their debut in July Notable premieres have included MATTHEW KING's has more than 40 years’ MAGGOT to great acclaim in 1988 at the Ryedale Festival, were hand-picked from fairytale opera THE SNOW QUEEN, at the QEH, international experience in an Australia, Italy, Spain and Britain's most gifted young musicians by Jane ANTHONY PAYNE's 'Scenes from the Woodlanders' exceptionally wide-ranging London, and giving the Manning, representing an entirely new concept in and 'Poems of Edward Thomas', and ALISON repertoire .She has given more premiere of Joanna Lee's ensembles, which cuts across barriers of generation BAULD's PLUTO, a Spitalfields Festival commission than 350 world premieres to CHANSONS INNOCENTES and idiom. (one of many appearances at this Festival, in both its date, (including several with the Orchestra of the Winter and Summer seasons). operas) and has worked Swan. In September 2009 she MINSTRELS swiftly attained an enviable closely with composers such performed Schoenberg's DIE international reputation, acclaimed by Press and Recent engagements have included an SPNM project as Boulez, Birtwistle, Cage, JAKOBSLEITER in Helsinki public. As well as a nomination for one of LEB's at Kingston University, with newly commissioned Carter, Knussen, and Weir. under Sakari Oramo, and a 'Brightening-Up London' Awards, their first full pieces placed alongside Schoenberg's PIERROT concert in February 2010 at season featured 3 London appearances, 2 of them at the LUNAIRE, a South Bank concert of Schoenberg, Her catalogue of CDs includes the South Bank Centre will South Bank for the SPNM and the Park Lane Group, Webern and new pieces, a performance of Walton's the major song cycles of celebrate her 45 years of and a tour of Spain. Engagements at the Aldeburgh FAÇADE, with Tim Pigott-Smith, and a Messiaen, all Satie's vocal professional singing. Festival and Dartington, and visits to Italy, Denmark, 'Harlequinade' at Hampton Court. They also gave the music, and works by Berg, Norway and Belgium quickly followed. Their premiere of Anthony Payne's Horn Trio at the Wallace Dallapiccola, Ligeti and She was awarded the OBE in programmes combine contemporary works with Collection. In February 2010 they will perform this, as Schoenberg (including 3 1990, and holds Honorary classics, with special emphasis on British music. All well as the Smyth and Bridge works on this CD, at the recordings of her admired D o c t o r a t e s f r o m t h e the players now have flourishing individual careers, South Bank Centre in a special celebration concert to interpretation of PIERROT Universities of Durham, and are in great demand for their versatility and wide- mark their 20th Anniversary season. LUNAIRE) with conductors Keele and York. She is a ranging sympathies. including Boulez and Rattle. She has sung all over the Fellow of both the Royal Academy and the Royal Roger Montgomery studied at the University of York Continent, North America and Australasia and at most College of Music. She is married to the composer, Highlights over the years have included Jane and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with of the world's leading halls and festivals. writer and broadcaster ANTHONY PAYNE. Manning's 25th Anniversary performance of Anthony Halstead. Interested in contemporary music . Schoenberg's PIERROT LUNAIRE , and the SPNM's and period instrument performance he plays horn with Apart from her activities in contemporary music, she She has just completed 3 years as AHRC Creative Arts 50th Anniversary Gala, both at the Queen Elizabeth many of the leading groups in both fields, and is a has taken major roles in operas by Purcell, Mozart and Research Fellow at Kingston University, undertaking Hall, a Vienna Festival programme of works by member of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Britten and performed and broadcast programmes of a major study of PIERROT LUNAIRE, which is to be JUDITH WEIR, visits to Madrid and Turku, concerts He regularly plays guest principal with many of the German lieder and French song, especially for the published shortly as an audio/text book. She is now in Poland during the ISCM World Music Days, and a London orchestras. BBC. She has also appeared in Light Music Visiting Professor at Kingston. She is also a Visiting Proms Chamber Concert, as well as special Birthday As a soloist he has regularly performed the standard programmes for the BBC, as well as many Promenade Professor at the Royal College of Music, and was for 6 Concerts for Jane Manning (Wigmore Hall 2003) and solo repertoire by Mozart, Haydn and Britten in the Concerts. She has a special interest in English Song years Honorary Professor at Keele University. Anthony Payne (South Bank 2006).Their second tour UK, Europe and Australia, also performing Weber's and, for her debut recital for the BBC, chose an entire Her books: NEW VOCAL REPERTORY (AN of the USA in 1997 included an appearance in the Concertino on natural horn live on Finnish Radio and programme of Warlock songs, including all but one of INTRODUCTION) and NEW VOCAL REPERTORY famed Monday Evening Concerts at Los Angeles giving the 1st solo part in Schumann's Konzertstück in the current selection, accompanied by the late Viola 2 are published by Oxford University Press. She has County Museum. the Barbican, Paris and the Lincoln Center, as well as Tunnard. The Smyth songs on this CD featured also contributed a chapter to Cambridge University recording the work for Deutsche Grammophon. regularly in several of her earliest concerts with Jane's Press's forthcoming HISTORY OF MUSICAL Their four recordings for NMC have won critical Minstrels, the ensemble she hand-picked in 1988. PERFORMANCE, and wrote the chapter on the song acclaim, the first of them, featuring music by cycles for Faber & Faber's A MESSIAEN ELISABETH LUTYENS, selected as a Record of the She continues to enjoy an active performing career, COMPANION. Year by The Gramophone. recently singing Maxwell Davies's MISS Jane and the Minstrels at the recording of this CD on a cold November day in 2008

As a founder member and conductor of Jane's Minstrels he has given many premieres and performed at leading festivals in the UK and in the USA, Scandinavia and Europe, directing four compact disc recordings for the NMC label among others and frequently broadcasting for the BBC. He has also directed Avanti!, BBC Singers, Endymion, Capricorn, Esbjerg Ensemble, Park Lane Group Ensemble, Conchord, and Ondine Ensemble. With New Music Players, he has directed many performances including Ligeti's Aventures and Nouvelles Aventures, two film scores by Ed Hughes to Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin and Strike and the premiere and recording of James Wood's Crying Bird, Echoing Star. Roger teaches at Trinity College of Music, Greenwich and is currently Chair of the Executive Committee of the British Horn Society

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My Own Country Jane Manning - Jane’s Minstrels - Conducted by Roger Montgomery CDE 84583