Neither of these song cycles was originally written with orchestral accompaniment. On Wenlock Edge was scored for accompaniment of piano and string quartet, while the Songs of Travel were written with piano. I know that both lose a little when sung with orchestra but the gain seems to me considerably to outweigh any loss, especially when three such superb artists are involved. The orchestra increases the drama of the imagery of the gusting wind in the first song of the Housman cycle, particularly in Simon Rattle's vivid reading; and surely the remote horns at the start of ''Is my team ploughing?'' are more effective than the piano can be. Vaughan Williams gives a astonishingly imaginative scoring to ''In summertime on Bredon'' (though the effect of the bells can indeed be equalled by the piano). As to ''Clun'', my chamber music score has the marking piano at the start where Rattle plays it at the forthright mf but it is possible that the composer altered this later. Tear's singing is notable for some wonderfully long phrases (as also is Allen's in the other cycle) as well as the other Tear qualities by now well known, of clarity of words and such matters. His voice at the end of this song seems to be made artificially distant; but that is probably an illusion. At any rate, it suits the pp tranquillo called for at '''Tis a long way further than Knighton''.
It is only comparatively lately that the Songs of Travel came into their own as a fine cycle, for it is only lately that they have all been heard as a set. In the first place the publishers insisted on publishing eight of the songs in two books, doubtless playing for commercial safety; in the second, the ninth song, the little epilogue which rounds things off so satisfyingly with references to some of the earlier songs, was only published in 1960 after the composer's death. Thomas Allen of course sings all nine songs and wonderfully he sings and interprets them. The CBSO play especially well for Rattle, as they always do.
Allen has been getting glowing notices for some while now and his singing here deserves the greatest enthusiasm. For a start, the voice itself has such sheerly fine quality and is simply in itself a joy to listen to. Just hear his wonderful crescendo from pp portamento to ff, all in a brief moment at the end of the first song, ''The vagabond'', while Rattle's swift tempo at the start of ''The roadside fire'' finds Allen singing really softly and scherzando as he promises the ''brooches and things for your delight''. The sheer nobility of his tone is wonderfully shown in ''Bright is the ring of words'', resolute and taken quite forthrightly.
A superb record that does real justice to RVW's imagination, his care for words and his orchestration. Not to be missed.'