Vaughan Williams: Willow-Wood (Cantata for Baritone and Orchestra)

Andrew McGregor

7th February 2006

“Roderick Williams is perfectly cast: gentle warmth, virility, and nobility tinged with regret. But it's the orchestra and often wordless chorus that supply most of the colour, the coolly-lit musical equivalent of a pre-Raphaelite painting...A fine recording from the Liverpool forces, and that's a nice touch given Willow-Wood's history. The only thing cheap about the whole project is the price.”

November 2005

****

“Roderick Williams's beautifully phrased and enunciated singing in Willow-Wood proclaims him an heir to the great tradition of British baritones. Under the reliable David Lloyd-Jones, the orchestra sounds at ease. …a valuable and highly recommendable disc.”

December 2005

“…this enterprising Vaughan Williams anthology. …features the first recording of Willow-Wood. Roderick Williams rises heroically to the challenge of a demanding, wide-ranging vocal part, and Lloyd-Jones draws an alert, enthusiastic response from his RLPO forces.”