Elgar: A War Song (Hayward), Op. 5

Dutton Epoch’s survey of tuneful short works by John Ireland (including the last two unrecorded songs orchestrated by Ireland himself and sung here by Roderick Williams) is filled out with a selection of encores by British composers and two unrecorded orchestral songs by Elgar. The overture by Tranchell, a gorgeous interlude by Walter Collins and tuneful folk dance arrangements by Herbert Murrill are coupled with more substantial fare by Lionel Sainsbury – a muscular and invigorating Allegro Risoluto for strings and Elis Pehkonen’s evocative and finely drawn orchestral sunset, Sunset and Evening Star.

A tribute to Elgar's 150th birthday (2007), David Owen Norris and The Works perform Elgar's songs and piano solos on Elgar's own 1844 Broadwood piano, including the world-premiere of his unpublished final song XTC, set to his own words. In all, this 2-CD set presents 32 of Elgar's finest songs for voice and piano, including a number never recorded before, and premiere recordings of Elgar's piano arrangements of the theme of the Cello Concerto, and the Prelude and Angel’s Farewell from Gerontius which, like Sea Pictures (sung here in its original soprano key) and the Woodland Interlude from Caractacus, were all composed at this piano. He even wrote these titles on its soundboard, along with his signature. These piano versions clearly remained in the forefront of Elgar’s mind and reveal his bold first thoughts before they may have been revised at the suggestion of others. The piano’s construction – keys slightly narrower than on a modern piano, the black keys set lower – illuminates Elgar’s intentions. The writing suddenly makes perfect sense, which it doesn’t always on a modern Steinway.

The cover art is H.A. Payne’s The Enchanted Sea, which was part of the inspiration for Sea Pictures.