138booklet 10/8/08 17:21 Page 1 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” The Times 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 Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 138booklet 10/8/08 17:21 Page 3 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] Juliette Pochin / 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] www.signumrecords.com 138booklet 10/8/08 17:21 Page 5 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 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 Serenade 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 Ralph Vaughan Williams 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 Serenade a reality. today. I have also been influenced by Irish folk Brian Knowles - 4 - - 5 - 138booklet 10/8/08 17:21 Page 7 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.