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Charles Villiers Stanford: Songs of the Fleet, Op. 117
I. Sailing at Dawn: Andante molto tranquillo
II. The Song of the Sou'Wester: Allegro non troppo, ma con fuoco
III. The Middle-Watch: Andante molto tranquillo
IV. The Little Admiral: Allegro vivace - Poco meno mosso - A tempo - Slentando - Meno mosso - Accelerando - A tempo
V. Fare Well: Quasi adagio - Poco piu mosso - Temppo I - Molto adagio
Charles Villiers Stanford: The Revenge - A Ballad of the Fleet, Op. 24
I. At Flores in the Azores: Allegro giusto e pesante - II. Then spake Sir Richard Grenville - III. So Lord Howard pass'd away: Un poco piu lento
IV. He had only a hundred seamen: Andante sostenuto - Shall we fight or shall we fly?…: Poco piu mosso - And Sir Richard said again: Tempo I (Allegro giusto)
V. Sir Richard spoke and he laugh'd: Allegretto con moto - VI. Thousands of their soldiers look'd down - VII. And while now the great San Philip: Adagio molto - And the battle-thunder broke: Allegro con fuoco - VIII. But anon the great Sn Philip - IX. An
XI. And the night went down: Allegro tranquillo ma con moto - And we had not fought them in vain: Piu mosso - But Sir Richard cried in his English pride: Allegro giusto - XII. And the gunner said, “Ay, ay”: Andante sostenuto - And the lion there lay dying:
XIII. And the stately Spanish men: Allegretto maestoso - But he rose upon their decks: Allegro giusto - I have fought for Queen and Faith…: Molto maestoso - …With a joyful spirit I Sir Richard Grenville die!: Piu lento - XIV And they stared at the dead
But they sank his body with honour down: Allegretto maestoso - When a wind from the lands: Allegro moderato - Till it smote on their hulls: Piu allegro e con fuoco - And the little Revenge herself went down: Molto moderato e tranquillo
Charles Villiers Stanford: Songs of the Sea, Op. 91
I. Drake's Drum: Tempo di marcia moderato
II. Outward bound: Andante espressivo
III. Devon, O Devon, in wind and rain: Allegro molto
IV. Homeward bound: Andante tranquillo - Piu lento
V. The Old Superb: Allegro molto - Presto
July 2006
****
“Songs of the Sea - which includes the long-popular 'Drake's Drum' and 'The Old Superb' - and the later, texturally richer and more thoughtful Songs of the Fleet are superb baritone vehicles for Gerald Finley… this new Chandos SACD… has impressive presence.”
2010
“Two of Stanford's catchiest and most popular settings frame his 1904 Songs ofthe Sea for baritone, male chorus and orchestra: both 'Drake's Drum' and 'The Old Superb' are instantly memorable and have alone justly secured the work's survival. But there's some terrific music tucked away in the three remaining numbers, not least the marvellously serene 'Homeward Bound' with its burnished orchestral palette (Stanford's skilful scoring gives enormous pleasure throughout, in fact), rapt eloquence (nowhere more potent than at the line 'Swiftly the great ship glides') and adventurous harmonic scope. Six years later, Stanford returned to Henry Newbolt's maritime verse to pen a more reflective sequel entitled Songs of the Fleet. Its spacious centrepiece, 'The Middle Watch', evokes a dusky mystery and sense of awe, while the opening 'Sailing at Dawn' is a gloriously assured and noble essay worthy of Elgar himself...Not so immediately appealing is the 1886 choral ballad The Revenge, one of the composer's biggest early successes. Tennyson's poem depicts how Sir Richard Grenville and his Devonian crew aboard Revenge took on – and inflicted terrible damage upon – the Spanish fleet off the Azores in 1591 (one ship against 53 – believe it or not!). Stanford's breezy setting proved a hit with Victorian choral societies up and down the land. Though no forgotten masterpiece, it's most ably served by Hickox and company. Throw in an admirable booklet-essay by Jeremy Dibble and ripe, airy sound from Chandos, and it certainly adds up to a hearty recommendation.”
July 2006
“…Gerald Finley's firmly focused, ringing tone is a joy. He doesn't possess the salty tang of Benjamin Luxon (a true sea-dog if ever I heard one), but the voice is steadier and he sings with unfailing ardour, intelligence and sensitivity. Hickox and his BBC Welsh forces provide exemplary support.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
I. Sailing at Dawn: Andante molto tranquillo
