Bushes and Briars

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Benjamin Britten, Arnold (Edward Trevor) Bax, Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Peter Warlock, Frederick Delius, Herbert Howells

Label: British Composers

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 149

Mastering:

ADD

Catalogue Number: 565123-2

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Bushes and briars Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Loch Lomond Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
Ian Partridge, Tenor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
John Dory Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Greensleeves Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Ward the Pirate Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Ca' the Yowes Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
Ian Partridge, Tenor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
(The) unquiet grave Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
(The) Seeds of Love Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
Geoffrey Shaw, Bass
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Early in the spring Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
(The) Turtle Dove Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
Christopher Keyte, Bass
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
(An) Acre of Land Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Susan Longfield, Soprano
(5) English Folksongs Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Christopher Bishop, Conductor
London Madrigal Singers
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
(The) Homecoming Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
Rig Veda - Group 4, Movement: Hymn to Manas Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(8) Canons, Movement: The fields of sorrow Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(8) Canons, Movement: David's lament for Jonathan Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(8) Canons, Movement: Truth of all truth Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(6) Choral Folk Songs, Movement: I sowed the seeds of love Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(6) Choral Folk Songs, Movement: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(6) Choral Folk Songs, Movement: The Song of the Blacksmith Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(6) Choral Folk Songs, Movement: I love my love Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(6) Choral Folk Songs, Movement: Swansea Town Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
(6) Male Choruses, Movement: Intercession Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
English Chamber Orchestra
Gustav Holst, Composer
Ian Humphris, Conductor
(6) Male Choruses, Movement: Good Friday Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
English Chamber Orchestra
Gustav Holst, Composer
Ian Humphris, Conductor
(6) Male Choruses, Movement: Drinking song Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
English Chamber Orchestra
Gustav Holst, Composer
Ian Humphris, Conductor
(6) Male Choruses, Movement: A love song Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
English Chamber Orchestra
Gustav Holst, Composer
Ian Humphris, Conductor
(6) Male Choruses, Movement: Before sleep Gustav Holst, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
English Chamber Orchestra
Gustav Holst, Composer
Ian Humphris, Conductor
(A) Dirge for Two Veterans Gustav Holst, Composer
(Philip) Jones Brass Ensemble
Baccholian Singers of London
Gustav Holst, Composer
Ian Humphris, Conductor
(5) Partsongs from the Greek Anthology Edward Elgar, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Edward Elgar, Composer
(The) Wanderer Edward Elgar, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Edward Elgar, Composer
Reveille Edward Elgar, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Edward Elgar, Composer
(5) English Folksongs, Movement: Wassail song Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
(A) Dirge Herbert Howells, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Herbert Howells, Composer
(The) Boar's Head Arnold (Edward Trevor) Bax, Composer
Arnold (Edward Trevor) Bax, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Wanderer's Song Frederick Delius, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Frederick Delius, Composer
(The) Shrouding of the Duchess of Malfi Peter Warlock, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Peter Warlock, Composer
(The) Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard Benjamin Britten, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Benjamin Britten, Composer
(The) lady's birthday Peter Warlock, Composer
Baccholian Singers of London
Jennifer Partridge, Piano
Peter Warlock, Composer
From soulful first to sociable last, these part-songs are a delight for listeners as for singers. All who have warbled their way “through bushes and through briars” or taken tuneful farewell of their “little turtle dove” will know what pleasures they can bring, though no doubt many will reflect that the pleasure might have been heightened if their own group had numbered among them a few singers half as expert as those who perform so musically and intelligently on these recordings. The London Madrigal Singers and the Baccholian Singers of London both have Ian Partridge as a member, and that is a pretty good start. There may be others who are shared, and certainly the groups have in common a fine discipline that feels like instinct, a care for homogeneity of tone and style, and a keen appreciation of the civilized use of words, music and human society that such things betoken.
The two CDs bring together, very suitably, three LPs recorded within a few years of one another. They were welcomed in their time, though Trevor Harvey had some pertinent observations to make about the first. This is of Christopher Bishop’s madrigal singers in the Vaughan Williams folk-song arrangements, where TH wanted more pace and more passion. “The singers must seem possessed by the thought of what the words really imply” in “The springtime of the year” (Five English Folksongs), and “this lack of intensity in interpretation becomes more serious in The Turtle Dove”. As he says, “the music should move on a bit”; and (as he does not say) it isn’t merely a question of the set tempo but the literalness of the reading – a quaver equals a quaver and that’s it, whereas the idiom essentially involves flexibility in the treatment of words and music.
For the rest, these performances deserve only praise. The Baccholians are particularly good in their rhythmic alertness, catching perfectly the subdued excitement of the Wassail song and the tricky syncopations of The song of the blacksmith. And what fine, fresh, considered and considerate compositions they are! The Six Choral Folk Songs of Holst are rich in variety, while the Six Choruses with strings have an equally satisfying unity. The Dirge for Two Veterans is a masterpiece, and indeed much could be said about them all which will have to go unsaid. Fortunately, it is hearing rather than ‘saying’ that really matters, and hearing is highly recommended.
'

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