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Track(s) taken from CDA67899

Star Candles

First line:
The sun's in his cradle
composer
1942
author of text

Ailish Tynan (soprano), Christopher Glynn (piano)
Recording details: January 2010
Concert Hall, Wyastone Estate, Monmouth, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Mellor
Engineered by Andrew Mellor
Release date: January 2012
Total duration: 2 minutes 30 seconds

Cover artwork: Pale Moon (2002). Ann Brain (b1944)
Private Collection / Bridgeman Images
 

Other recordings available for download

NYCoS National Girls Choir, Christopher Bell (conductor), Philip Moore (piano)

Reviews

‘Singers and pianist perform with conviction and style’ (Gramophone)

‘Head created the most inventive and sympathetic writing for voice and piano, in asymmetrical, free-flowing, artful settings of poets such as Walter De La Mare, John Masefield and Christina Rossetti … their expressive power is enhanced by the presence of the pianist Christopher Glynn and three particularly word-sensitive singers … a revelation’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘As these meticulous performances demonstrate, Head was acutely sensitive to words. There are settings of Masefield and Yeats, Hardy, Joyce and Christina Rossetti here, and in every song each phrase is perfectly balanced, its accompaniment supremely tactful’ (The Guardian)

‘Head, a long-neglected member of the first world war generation of English composers, is coming back to favour, and this collection of 27 songs, deftly accompanied by Christopher Glynn, will do his reputation nothing but good … Head makes sure England's fields are forever green, even when the mood is tinged with sadness’ (Financial Times)
Margaret Rose (died 1958) wrote the words of Star Candles (1942). The poem refers to the constellation ‘The Southern Cross’, which in South Africa is also known as ‘Star Candles’, following an old belief that each of the five pointers denotes a gift to the Christ Child. Head responds with a beguiling melody.

from notes by Andrew Burn © 2012

Other albums featuring this work

Only a Singing Bird
Studio Master: SIGCD440Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
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