Description
In 1920 Mrs Ella Mary Leather and Ralph Vaughan Williams jointly published "Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire". Vaughan Williams arranged each of the carols twice: first, for unaccompanied choir (SATB); and second, for voice and piano.
The choral versions are recorded as a set in 2024 for the first time, coupled with the alternative settings for voice and piano, recorded in 2011.
The carols are performed with traditional words, not all of which follow the biblical canon, and they are by no means all about Christmas. As a consequence there are some unfamiliar carols and some new tunes for well-known carols.
In the first twelve tracks, William Vann directs the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square, in February 2024. The choir regularly records for Albion Records and featured on two very successful earlier Christmas collections: 'ALBCD035 A Vaughan Williams Christmas', and 'ALBCD050 An Oxford Christmas'. This year a new collection is released on 'ALBCD063 A Christmas Fantasia'.
Tracks 13 to 24 were recorded by bass-baritone Derek Welton, accompanied by pianist Iain Burnside at Potton Hall in 2011. Those tracks form part of a longer recital of folk-carols and folk-songs arranged by Vaughan Williams presented on 'ALBCD013 On Christmas Day' - which is still available for purchase, download and streaming.
Andrew Walton was the Producer, and the engineers were Deborah Spanton and Mike Clements.
The conductor and pianist William Vann is recognised in particular for his acclaimed revivals of neglected works of British choral music and song and is Director of Music at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. His eight critically acclaimed recordings with the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea have included first recordings of works by Elgar, Holst and Vaughan Williams and his studio recordings of Parry's Judith and Prometheus Unbound have been awarded a host of accolades, including Gramophone's 'Recording of the Month'.
The Australian-born bass-baritone Derek Welton has established himself as a respected and versatile artist both on the concert platform and the opera stage, with a repertoire ranging from Bach and Handel to the present day. He holds degrees in Linguistics and German from the University of Melbourne and in Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is a regular guest at the great opera houses of London, Salzburg, Vienna, Bayreuth, Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Paris, Amsterdam and Chicago, in a wide range of roles including operas by Wagner, Richard Strauss, Bartok, Beethoven, Janacek and Mozart.
Iain Burnside is one of the UK's best-known musicians. Iain has worked with a broad roster of international singers: Dame Margaret Price, Rosa Feola, Ailish Tynan, Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee, Roderick Williams, and Bryn Terfel, among many others. He has recorded more than 60 CDs, often created around neglected composers, where his curatorial skills are displayed to the full. He is a great champion of young singers, playing a crucial role in introducing them to a wider audience. In addition to a long association with London's Guildhall School, Iain is Visiting International Artist at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. He is Artistic Director of the Ludlow English Song Weekend and Artistic Consultant to Grange Park Opera, Surrey.
