Sullivan, A: The long day closes

Following a string of five-star reviews for their previous discs of 20th-century French choral music (Poulenc’s Figure Humaine ) and Renaissance polyphony (Victoria’s Requiem), the professional chamber-choir Tenebrae go from strength to strength with this new recording of British partsongs and choral music – centred on Hubert Parry’s Songs of Farewell.

Composed towards the end of Parry’s life, the Songs of Farewell have taken on something of an epithetical interpretation; they are almost a musical summation of his compositional life, reflecting Parry’s love of English renaissance madrigals and partsongs as much as the influence on his work from German composers like Brahms – made more complicated as these works were composed as the country (and its music) fell out of favour at the start of the Great War.

Perfectly poised for all the Royal sentiments in the air for the forthcoming Royal Wedding, Music All Powerful - Music to entertain Queen Victoria provides a delightful flashback of the British Royal Family and is the first release on CD of a delightful Argo LP. It offers solo songs, unaccompanied and accompanied choral songs and a handful of instrumental numbers such as would have been performed for and during Queen Victoria’s reign. The Purcell Consort of Voices under Grayston Burgess are joined by a group of instrumental soloists, including the superb violinist Iona Brown, with pianist Jennifer Partridge both accompanying and playing a Mendelssohn Song without Words and a Chaminade piece. For bringing back songs from obscurity alone this is a worthy CD. But it also recalls obscure composers like Pinsuti, Klosé, Beale, Galkin, Walmisley and Callcott and an obscure instrument - the ophicleide (the instrument Mendelssohn wanted for Bottom’s braying in the Midsummer Night’s Dream overture). The performances are idiomatic and charming, the programming a joy. Geoffrey Coleby provides the amusing notes: ‘…when they could burst the shackles of their dreadful academic training, the Victorians could show a touching great-heartedness which is their most endearing feature’. All song texts are included.

A timely release of a recording of songs and instrumental pieces composed during the reign of one of England’s most beloved monarchs.

Harry Mortimer’s name is synonymous with the brass band movement and he was hugely responsible for bringing its music to a larger audience. He achieved this, in particular, through the many concerts and tours he made with his massed bands. Tragically, there are very few Mortimer CDs available today and this Heritage release, featuring three of his ensembles, attempts to redress the balance.

Combining perennial favourites with wonderful new discoveries, these immediately appealing pieces reflect the much-loved repertoire at the heart of a King's Singers programme, performed with the skill and flair that distinguishes the group as one of the world's most popular a cappella ensembles. Signum Records latest venture with The King's Singers, Romance du Soir, follows hot on the heels of a Live DVD and CD release of their 2008 performance at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall (SIGDVD005 and SIGCD150), and the 2008 Grammy-nominated album Simple Gifts (SIGCD121).

A live and televised recording from this year's BBC Proms performance on 5th August by the most famous a cappella group ever: the King's Singers. Regularly performing in excess of 100 concerts every season complemented by recording and teaching, The King's Singers delight audiences around the world with their incomparable musicianship, charm and wit.With the recent album release Landscape and Time having been described as possessing "singing of rare distinction", and "stunningly high musical standards", they have maintained their place at the apex of a cappella singing, and are counted amongst the world's elite classical performers. Continuing Signum's release series in celebration of the group's 40th Anniversary year, Simple Gifts (SIGCD121) and a 5-CD ‘best of’ (SIGCD120), this performance was in many ways a retrospective of the groups musical history, encompassing some of the earliest arrangements that the original line-up performed right up to contemporary works that they recently commissioned. Available on CD and DVD, the DVD includes extra interviews with the group from Suzy Klein and Gareth Malone, star of BBC series The Choir, and can also be enjoyed in 5.1 surround sound.

CONCERT REVIEW:

"In an exquisitely programmed concert, there was music ranging from the Renaissance to the present, including the opening selection of Poulenc's witty “Chansons françaises" and various Victorian parlour songs "in the biggest Victorian parlour ever built." …the pure quality of the vocal balance is quite extraordinary. The King's Singers had travelled back in time some 400 years (who needs Dr Who at the Proms?). Then followed an example of the many works the group has commissioned, John McCabe's haunting evocation of American wastelands, "Scenes in America deserta", based on the writings of architectural historian Reyner Banham. McCabe took his bow. The evening ended with folksongs arranged by Gordon Langford and members of the group, Bob Chilcott (who left in 1997) and current baritone Philip Lawson. Langford's "Widdicombe" Fair played to the group's effortless resource of funny voices and genial comedy. The encore was Arthur Sullivan's arrangement of "The Long Day Closes", apposite for a concert finishing at fifteen minutes short of midnight and perfectly judged in this performance." Classical Source