RaLPh Vaughan Williams: The Sky Shall Be Our Roof (Songs From The Operas)

Sarah Fox, Juliet Pochin, Andrew Staples, Roderick Williams, Iain Burnside

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Cat No: ALB001

Release Date: 10 June 2008

Label: Albion Records

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 5060158190010

Genres: Classical Chamber Music

Description

This Albion Records recording, from Potton Hall in 2007, with 10 world première Vaughan Williams songs and another 8 new to CD, features Roderick Williams, Iain Burnside, Sarah Fox, Juliette Pochin and Andrew Staples.

Vaughan Williams decided in 1909 that he wished to write an opera with a 'prize fight' at its heart and this idea became Hugh the Drover. Five more operas were to follow. The songs from the operas on this CD arose from Vaughan Williams's desire to provide a performing option short of a full operatic staging.

Sarah Fox studied Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, and singing at the Royal College of Music. She won the 1997 Kathleen Ferrier Award and the 2000 John Christie Award. Juliette Pochin has a hugely varied and successful career as singer, composer, and Brit-nominated record producer—from singing the Angel in Dream of Gerontius with the CBSO to writing the music for The Kumars at No 42. Andrew Staples is considered by many to be one of the most versatile British singers. In addition, he is an experienced opera director, and is increasingly in demand as a portrait photographer. Roderick Williams OBE encompasses a wide repertoire, from baroque to contemporary music. He won the Singer of the Year Award in the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards for services to music in June 2017. He is also a composer and has had works premiered at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national radio.

Iain Burnside is a Scottish classical pianist and accompanist, and a former presenter on BBC Radio 3. Following study at Merton College, Oxford, the Royal Academy of Music and the Chopin Academy, in Warsaw he became a freelance pianist, specialising particularly in song repertoire. He has written a musical play A Soldier and a Maker on the life of Ivor Gurney, premiered in 2012.

These artists also feature on ALBCD002 Vaughan Williams: Kissing her Hair, ALBCD013 Vaughan Williams: On Christmas Day, ALBCD015 Vaughan Williams: The Sons of the Morning, ALBCD018 Vaughan Williams: Stars of the Night, and ALBCD028 Vaughan Williams: Discoveries.

Reviews:
Here's a fine launch for Albion – altogether recommendable. --BBC Music Magazine, December 2007

A quite lovely debut disc from a new label, Albion Records; The rare songs include many recorded firsts… some gorgeous and imaginative singing. --Gramophone, Editor's Choice, March 2008

The songs here have been transcribed for piano accompaniment by Vaughan Williams himself, and the majority are première recordings. Immediately striking is the purity of the singing on the disc. Roderick Williams is no stranger to Vaughan Williams, having made several recordings for Chandos. The other soloists… appear to be just as much at home in the repertoire. There are two duets on this disc (Ah! Love I've found you and Hugh my lover) sung here by Sarah Fox and Andrew Staples – both pieces are simply beautiful. The voices weave around each other, creating the amorous mood that the text dictates. Iain Burnside's piano accompaniment is spot-on throughout, sensitively capturing the variety of moods. --Ruth Squire, McAlister Matheson Music

These songs from three operas are most enjoyable and an indispensable supplement to your RVW songs shelf. The strong and responsive singing is most sensitively done. --Rob Barnett, Musicweb International
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