British Music

[dafrieze]

And, Albion, let me thank you for the Burgess symphony.  I'm a great admirer of his books and have been longing to hear some others of his works (beyond his piano concerto, which I discovered by a fluke).  This is a boon!

[Mark Thomas]

Many thanks, Sicmu, for Lloyd's Ninth.

[albion]

Another wonderful complete opera donated to the archive by paul corfield godfrey -

Alan Bush (1900-1995) - Men of Blackmoor (1954-55)

Many thanks, Paul.

Having determined the correct sequence and allocation of all the files, I have assembled them into the three separate acts for continuity. There is very slight digital damage towards the end of Act 2, Scene 1 and a momentary drop-out in the closing minute of Act 2, Scene 2, but otherwise this is an excellent recording. I cannot correct the minor faults described, but I have cleaned up the beginnings and endings of the files before merging them in order to allow the music to flow as naturally as possible.

As with Joe Hill, there is an excellent companion to the opera - http://www.alanbushtrust.org.uk/music/operas/blackmoor.asp?room=Music and a full cast-list is in the BMB catalogue.

[ahinton]

Another wonderful complete opera donated to the archive by paul corfield godfrey -

Alan Bush (1900-1995) - Men of Blackmoor (1954-55)

Many thanks, Paul.

Having determined the correct sequence and allocation of all the files, I have assembled them into the three separate acts for continuity. There is very slight digital damage towards the end of Act 2, Scene 1 and a momentary drop-out in the closing minute of Act 2, Scene 2, but otherwise this is an excellent recording. I cannot correct the minor faults described, but I have cleaned up the beginnings and endings of the files before merging them in order to allow the music to flow as naturally as possible.

As with Joe Hill, there is an excellent companion to the opera - http://www.alanbushtrust.org.uk/music/operas/blackmoor.asp?room=Music and a full cast-list is in the BMB catalogue.

Wonderful! Now for the summation of Bush's stage career - Joe Hill: The Man who Never Died. Please!...

[semloh]

Many thanks, Sicmu, for Lloyd's Ninth.

I wonder if this was the broadcast of it's premiere in 1982, from Manchester?

[semloh]

Haven't heard Salzedo's The Witch Boy for decades, but that Pye LP sounds familiar.
Many thanks, Latvian. 

[albion]

An addition from Dundonnell -

Margaret Lucy Wilkins (b.1939) - Hymn to Creation (1973)

Many thanks, Colin.

There is some information on Wilkins here - http://www.composers21.com/compdocs/wilkinsm.htm

Wonderful! Now for the summation of Bush's stage career - Joe Hill: The Man who Never Died. Please!...

Good news - this opera was added to the archive very recently - vide about a dozen posts back.

[eschiss1]

Another bit of info- Holbrooke's bassoon quintet (given the opus number 134 by CADENSA for some reason) was broadcast 9 May 1956 by the same performers (I am guessing the same recording? (1CDR0004389 BD10 NSA ; 1CDR0006475 BD8 NSA )

[albion]

The latest additions contributed by paul corfield godfrey -

Alan Bush (1900-1995) - Piers Plowman's Day, Op.30 (1946-47)
William Mathias (1934-1992) - Saint Teilo, Op.21 (1962)

The sections of the Welsh-language Mathias cantata are - Part One, O save the Lord, ye who are his saints (Soloists and chorus sing of the trials of sainthood); Part Two, Behold, dearly beloved brethren (The narrator tells of the early life of St Teilo, and of the invasion of Britain by the Picts); Part Three, How lovely are thy dwellings (Teilo and David journey to the holy city of Jerusalem), Hail, holy Teilo (There Teilo is chosen to be bishop); Part Four, Be favourable, O Lord (On returning to Wales, Teilo becomes Bishop of Llandaff and encounters the plague of the Yellow Pestilence); Part Five, Arise, my soul, into thy resting place (Teilo becomes the chief bishop of the whole of the south of Britain); Epilogue, Joy, joy to join with all the saints above (The boys' choir begin the 18th century hymn 'Braint' and lead the praise of God).

Many thanks, Paul.

[albion]

Addenda: two further Welsh items from paul corfield godfrey -

Mervyn Burtch (b.1929) - Ceres and Persephone (1974)
Alun Hoddinott (1929-2008) - Roman Dream, Op.54 (1968)

Many thanks.

[Dundonnell]

Heavens

"Saint Teilo" doesn't get a mention in most online sources that deal with William Mathias and his compositions. So this is a real rarity indeed
Much thanks

[albion]

From my personal collection -

George Lloyd (1913-1998) - John Socman (1951)

Full cast details are given in the catalogue.

[albion]

More Welsh music from paul corfield godfrey -

William Mathias (1934-1992) - Three Partsongs, Op.12: Nos a Bore [No.1]; Y Pren ar y Bryn [No.3] (1959)

Many thanks, Paul.

[britishcomposer]

Oh, yes, and a couple more:

HOLST: Vision of Dame Christian
SHAPLEIGH: Cello Sonata
McEWEN: Grey Galloway; Suite for Strings
J.GUEST: Sonata Op.1
ELGAR: Movement for Piano & Orchestra
McFARREN: Shakespeare Part Songs
HOWELLS: Fantasy for Cello & Orch.

Mike, who was this Shapleigh? The only one I could identify was Bertram, who was American.
Is this perhaps the reason why Albion didn't include him in the BMB folder?

[eschiss1]

Hrm. Is it Bertram Shapleigh's cello sonata of 1893 or is it something by Frank Shapleigh? Bertram Shapleigh settled in England in 1902 (after 1893, though. However... it does seem he spent half his life of more in Europe and much of it in the UK, if I understand, so ... why not...)