Good ol' Lyrita

 

They have given us a lot of musical joy from yesteryear.

Lyrita seems dedicated to resurrecting recordings from Britain's past, giving listeners a treasure trove of excellent lost or out-of-print performances.

This one brings together three British cantatas. The Sons of Light from Vaughan Williams is the most interesting, while Parry's Ode on the Nativity is unexpectedly more conservative. Holst, as per usual, gives us something completely different with The Mystic Trumpeter, the one work on the program fro solo voice only.

So unless you are a dedicated LP collector, this is wonderful program of rare musical Britannia will please greatly.

A review from 2021

The cantatas by English Masters Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, and Hubert Parry were all previously available on LP and long sought after for their rarity. Lyrita finally released them, and these are easily reference recordings, particularly of VW’s Sons of Light. This may still be the only place to find Parry’s yuletide Ode on the Nativity, although Holst’s solo soprano cantata Mystic Trumpeter has seen its fair share of recordings.

20-25 minutes each, these cantatas do not have the melodic memorability of their composers’ more famous outings. Dense, wordy texts are the focus here, while the moods and kaleidoscopically shifting choral and orchestral colours and textures are the highlight of this music.

VW’s The Sons of Light is the most adventurous and well-structured in its choral focus. The middle Zodiac movement in particular has a lot of fun choral techniques and diverse orchestral settings to vividly depict the 12 starry signs. Ursula VW is no slouch in the poetry corner either, and Sons of Light is an altogether interesting symphonic choral work.

I am not as enraptured with Parry’s Ode on the Nativity, although it would program well with Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity. Both have a gently rocking carol opening as metaphor to the Christmas story, and both move divergently only to satisfyingly return to the opening material. In Parry’s setting, a mix of Latin and English, it is the double chorus section in the last third of the work that thrills. Otherwise for me, his Ode is a bit square and stuffy, yet still enjoyable for what it is.

The Mystic Trumpeter for solo soprano only, misses a bit of the heft of the accompanying choral works, but Sheila Armstrong portrays the dramatic shadings quite well. The ending climax is well prepared, and it is an interesting early entry from Holst. I find Whitman’s texts quite moving, and even if his orchestral writing isn’t always the most straight forward, Holst’s music fits the program pretty well.

Sir David Willcocks leads VW and Parry strongly, David Atherton in Holst, and the Lyrita sound gives the LPO, LSO, The Bach Choir, and the Royal College of Music Chorus satisfying warmth and breadth. The soloists are ideally balanced with the orchestras and choirs, and there is a general immediacy and dynamism in the recording too, with a strong sonic portrait all around. This gives Willcocks’ Sons of Light a leg up over the competing recording  on Naxos  with David Lloyd-Jones, although his offering of Willow-Wood is another rare gem in VW’s recorded oeuvre.

Altogether, a pleasant album of symphonic choral and vocal music. These might not have the visceral impact of Dona Nobis Pacem, or the charm of Hodie or Hymn of Jesus from these same composers, but these are fine performances of pleasant and often moving music making. That, and I love these obscure, medium-scale English choral works. Texts are provided and the note from VW’s wife is nice to read.

 

 

 

 

Work
The Sons of Light (20.03)
Ode on the Nativity (24.15)
The Mystic Trumpeter (19.51)

Soloists
Sheila Armstrong, soprano
Teresa Cahill, soprano

Ensembles
The Bach Choir
Royal College of Music Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra
   Sir David Willcocks, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
   David Atherton, conductor

Label: Lyrita
Year: 1982; 2007
Timing: 64.13

 

 

 

 

 

A terrific program of British choral and vocal cantatas. The mix of adventurous and conservative, choral and solo vocal, provide the listener with much variety.

Thank you Lyrita!