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Track(s) taken from SIGCD232

Lullaby

composer
Mike Sheppard (b?)

Caroline Dale (cello), English Chamber Orchestra, Steve Sidwell (conductor)
Recording details: August 2010
Phoenix Sound, Pinewood Studios, United Kingdom
Produced by Mike Sheppard & Tonia Sheppard
Engineered by Dick Lewzey
Release date: November 2010
Total duration: 3 minutes 59 seconds

Cover artwork: Woman and Boy. Eva Mueller (b?)
 

Reviews

'A prominent feature in Mike Sheppard's music is its strong neo-pastoral quality. Sweeping melodic shapes are underpinned by sumptuous modal harmonies which flow out of a lush lyrical bedrock, as heard here on 'Elegy for a Lost Son', 'Lullaby' and 'Ellie's Theme' … efficacious in this respect are the commanding performances heard here, especially that of cellist Caroline Dale. This may not be technically difficult music but it still requires thought and understanding. Dale manages to draw every drop of emotional energy from the instrument on 'Soliloquy' and 'A Remark You Made'. It is fitting that her beautifully weighted sound is heard at the very beginning and end of this album' (Gramophone)

'If you want to lie back to something warm, soothing, yet intense, this is unquestionably it. Beautiful music, played with passion, even if harder personality types might prefer a drier acoustic for the cello' (Classic FM)» More
This is an innocent folk-like melody of the kind that a mother might sing to an infant. This piece also exists in an arrangement for Soprano and choir, but here the melody is played beautifully by the solo cello.

It is in strophic verse form, with each reiteration of the theme ever more passionate until the orchestra seizes the main theme from the cello, which responds with a series of passionate obbligato phrases.

The coda brings a more reflective statement of the theme against the Lydian major third-sharpened fourth figure of the opening bars in horns and strings.

from notes by Mike Sheppard © 2010

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